Star Horizons
by Leina
Summary: Various pairings. The boys are reunited and ready to win another world tournament. Step 1: Go to Iceland. Step 2. Expand Beyblade education. Step 3: Meet old and new friends. Step 4: Hate, like, ditch, kiss the girl. Step 5: Never give up. [Hiatus]
1. Dawning Genesis

Hiya!!! On a sidenote, i wanna wish my friend Kim "HAPPY 17th BDAY!!!!! Hope ya like ur giffie!!" *ahem* neway... this is.. i guess like a spin-off from Beyblade ^^;; yknow.. since season 1 is ending here in just two more weekz... *cries insanely* now on-*sniff*-to the -*sniff*- fic... OH AND KAI IS BEIN SUCHA AN ARSE LATELY!! XD gomen.. hadda get dat out ~^   
  
Disclaimer: I will say this once and no more. I don't own anything from the actual Beyblade show.   
  
  
  
  
Star Horizons  
  
Chapter 1: Dawning Genesis  
  
Although it was autumn, it was a surprisingly jovial morning as the sun's warm rays shone through the crystalline windows of a conventional bedroom. The cool fall breeze graciously played with the scattered leaves outside as the branches swayed with the soft wind like the gentle currents of the ocean.  
  
The tranquility came to an abrupt end as a resonant voice suddenly broke through the serenity. "Get up G-son! It's time for some early practicing!" declared an old (but certainly not feeble) man in a vibrant Hawaiian shirt.   
  
A somnolent groan could be heard from underneath the covers of a bed just the size to fit a growing teenage boy. A crown of dark navy hair peeked through the top of the thin comforter as the sleeping figure sustained its immobility, occasionally showing curt signs of stirring. A pair of large feet poked through the opposite end of the slightly tangled blanket as the top half of the warm envelope moved up and down in a slow, rhythmical fashion.  
  
"Come on little dude!" insisted the dynamic man. "You need an extra bright and early start today. Don't tell me you've already forgotten the important value of practice."   
  
Again, a reluctant sound was heard beneath the Prussian sheets. A few seconds of restive movement occurred before the misshapen lump settled back into a still position.   
  
The lance-carrying elder grinned despite himself. He glanced at the clock to find it three past eight; it was rather earlier than the usual time they got up. Rolling his eyes, he ruffled the teen's dark hair with a smile of contentment.   
  
Three years later and his grandson still slept like a log. It seemed that some things just don't change, but regardless of its burden at times, there was still a warm comfort of consistency.   
  
"Okay then, ten more minutes, but that's all your getting," stated the aged man sternly. "I know you can hear me kid, so I'm warning you now: if you're not up when the ten minutes is up, I'm bringing the hose in here. And that's a promise."  
  
Another loath grunt sounded as the boy moved restlessly, burying himself deeper into his cocoon.   
  
"Remember, I warned you," the grandfather repeated. "Don't be getting upset if you get soaked. TEN MINUTES," he stressed before finally retreating out the door.   
  
  
  
"And here's your blade," smiled a boy with wild blonde hair.   
  
His wide grin distended from ear to ear as he watched the young customer accept the metal object appreciatively. The dark-haired child thanked him as he carefully placed the Beyblade into a safe home in his gray backpack. He gave the blonde another round of continuous "thank you's" and with a gratifying smile and wave, he gaily departing through the exit.   
  
The light-haired teen smiled to himself as he stared into the open space of the shop. The satisfied feeling of helping someone never ceased to entrance him. Aiding others was not just something he did; it was something he enjoyed.  
  
Besides the feeling of fulfillment, working at the Hobby Shop had also expanded his wisdom concerning Beyblading. Knowledge about the sport he loved was something that he always wanted to acquire more of, and for the past few years, that's exactly what he's been doing.  
  
"Well there goes another happy customer," came in a pleased voice. "I better be careful that you don't decide to run your own shop or else I'll be out of a business."  
  
The blonde turned around to face an older man with brown hair and a bantam-matching beard. "Aw dad," he began with a modest smile, "you know I'm not that good yet."   
  
"Oh really? You know I think maybe I should start asking you for tips on configuring Beyblades. Everyone's been asking for you so much lately, I began thinking that I was your assistant," he added teasingly.   
  
Quiet laughter escaped the blonde's lips as he brought his attention down to the floor. A light tinge of embarrassment highlighted his freckled cheeks, while he instinctively put a hand behind his head.   
  
"Come on dad," he blushed.   
  
The kind-hearted father opened his mouth to give another comment, but closed it again as the front door began to widen. In came another young man in brown shorts carrying a laptop. His sorrel hair, decorated with pair of cobalt-rimmed glasses, hid his eyes as he casually sauntered towards them.   
  
"OH WOW! HEY!" exclaimed the blonde. "I haven't seen you forever!"   
  
The boy smiled back, nodding. "I know, it's been a while…I haven't seen much of any of the rest of the guys that often either."  
  
"Yah…heh, I guess we've all been kinda busy, huh?"   
  
The younger boy bobbed his head in agreement.   
  
"Well I think I'll leave you two to do some catching up," proclaimed the older gentleman. "Call me if you need anything," he quickly added ere descending down the stairs.  
  
"Thanks dad!" the teen yelled after him. "So anyway," he started, bringing his attention back to his old friend, "what brings you here anyway? The last time I checked, you were travelling around as Mr. Dickenson's apprentice."   
  
"Well I am. He's in town too," explained the brunette. "I'm actually stopping by here because he asked me to get you."  
  
The older boy's azure eyes looked back at his former teammate curiously, searching for an explanation. "Really? Why?" he asked while scratching the back of his head.  
  
"I'll explain to you on the way there."   
  
  
  
"I'm losing my patience," muttered a low voice.   
  
"Calm down son, I'm sure they'll be here soon," responded an old, round-shaped man in formal attire. "How about you give your feet a rest and sit down while we wait?"  
  
"I'd rather stand."   
  
The white-whiskered gentleman chuckled inaudibly at his young companion's remark. It never ceased to amaze him at how stubborn adolescents could be, especially this particular individual.   
  
This blue-haired teenager was none other than the former Bladebreaker captain. He had been, without doubt, an extremely skilled member of the group in the past, and even till this day, he had only continued to excel in the sport.   
  
Unlike the rest of his teammates though, Beyblading remained as his initial priority. Perfection was still something he craved for; it was part of who he was. For that reason, his ascetic training persisted even after the Breakers had won the World Tournament.   
  
The seventeen-year-old groaned impatiently, glancing at the automatic screen doors every so often. With arms crossed on his toned chest, he rested against the wall, a distant expression sketched on his face. Standing idle in an airport was not a particular past time that he favored much of, especially when he could be using this time for something more practical.   
  
"There they are!" exclaimed an excited voice in the distance, finally bringing the wait to an end.   
  
His crimson eyes darted in the direction it came from, finding a brunette with glasses and another boy in green overalls waving happily at him and the man beside him. The two teens advanced toward them, occasionally stopping to allow travelers with their carts to pass through.   
  
"Ah, hello boys, you're finally here, and just in time too," greeted the kind elder warmly. "I take it that he explained to you why you're here, right?" he asked, addressing the question to the blonde.   
  
The light-haired boy nodded with a smile.   
  
"Excellent," he grinned, pleased. "Well in that case, why don't we start heading to the east gate so we can greet another old companion? His plane should be arriving in just a short time."   
  
The three teenagers all acknowledged as the group soon began to proceed accordingly.   
  
~*~  
  
"Mama! Bobo fall!" squeaked a child pouting, while helplessly reaching out for his fallen teddy bear.   
  
"Hold on honey, I'll get it," said the mother, beginning to lift herself out of her seat.   
  
"It's okay, I've got it," cut in a boy's voice. He leaned over to pick up the soft toy. He smiled as he knelt down at the toddler's eye level. "Did you drop this?" he asked the child in a warm tone, offering him the plushy. The young boy bobbed his head up and down as he thankfully accepted the gift with a big smile spreading across his small, chubby face.   
  
"Thank you," grinned the woman.   
  
"No problem," he responded with a brief nod, before resuming his walk back to his seat.   
  
The raven-haired teenager slid into his seat with ease. Quickly settling into the soft niche, he soon became transfixed with the scenery outside the clear pane. His golden eyes gazed upon the familiar landscape, as his mouth curved into a small smile. It had been a while since he's been to Japan, but he sure did remember it. How could he forget? It was the place where he first met his team, the Bladebreakers.   
  
Following the team's victory in the Russian Tournament, the teen went back to China for a short period of time. Soon after, he was back on a plane flying across the ocean to different countries. He had been doing what he always wanted to do: traveling around the world meeting new bladers and learning more about their Bit Beasts and battle techniques.  
  
Despite all of his new experiences, he never failed to recall everything that he and his friends went through. After hearing Mr. Dickenson's news, he was more than thrilled. Almost immediately after the call, he was on the next flight out of Spain to Japan.   
  
"Please fasten your seatbelt," announced a voice from the PA. "The plane will be landing in just a few minutes."   
  
As the Chinese boy secured his seatbelt firmly, the turbulence soon began. He leaned back against his seat, a faint smile playing onto his face as he caught sight of the airport.  
  
  
  
"RAAAYY!!!" hollered Max, spotting of the dark-haired teen walking through the corridor. The blonde waved his arms frantically, determined to catch his friend's attention. "HEY BUDDY! OVER HERE!"   
  
Mission accomplished. Ray smirked, heading towards his friends. He carefully eased his way through the crowd, making sure he didn't accidentally knock anyone over with his luggage.   
  
Finally coming face to face with his old teammates, he grinned. "Hey guys, long time, no see," he greeted them, placing his bags down.   
  
"You can say that again," smiled Kenny. "We heard that you've been practically all over the world."  
  
"Heh, well I have been traveling," nodded Ray, glancing at each of them. "Hey, where's Tyson?" he asked, realizing they were one person short.   
  
"He's battling in the regional tournament," Max chimed in. "You know what's weird? He wasn't too sure about competing at first! Can you believe that? I told him that I'd help him out and give some moral support. But man, is he gonna be surprised when he sees the rest of you too!" he laughed.   
  
Ray nodded. "I see…so, does he know about…?"  
  
Mr. Dickenson stepped in, shaking his head. "Nope, that's gonna be a little surprise," he said, chuckling. "Speaking of which, you boys better get going or else you'll miss the whole thing."   
  
"You're not coming Sir?" asked Max.   
  
"Well…I think it's best if I come later during his battle to be more discreet," he replied. "After all, I wouldn't want him to figure out just yet what exactly is going on. He needs tp focus on the match."   
  
The others agreed before beginning to help Ray with his bags.   
  
  
  
  
Bah.. i dislike this chappie.. XD hopefully it wasn't too bad n if u actually read the whole thing.. i am very impressed, LoL ~^ 


	2. Getting Started

HOOOOEEEEEE O.O THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS!!!! i cannot believe dat XD neway... i must admit that there are OCs in this fic n sum of the guys get paired w/em.. *hidez* gah, i hope dat doesnt discourage u to read it b/c... well i'm tryin to write like the show ^~ *sigh* Beyblade ends on Wednesday.. and i like writing this b/c its sorta like a new beginnin ^^  
  
neway.. hopefully ur still interested in readin, and if not, thats ok ^^ demo if u r, i hope u enjoy it!   
  
  
  
  
Star Horizons   
  
Chapter 2: Getting Started  
  
Tyson grumbled to himself as he reluctantly dragged his lead body to the wooden-floored room. At the moment, his mood's recipe had the ingredients of a cup of fatigue and a pinch of irritation: fatigue from having to get up so early and irritation from getting woken up by a hose.  
  
Stepping onto the boards lazily, still partially asleep, he looked around, eyelids waning.   
  
"Uhhh…" he groaned out loud. "Why couldn't grandpa just let me have another hour? I swear I'll keel over in the middle of a match," he declared groggily.   
  
Sighing, he reached for his Dragoon and shooter and slowly commenced practice. As the metal object hit the flat timber, it began gliding across the floor. The jaded blade skated across the room, almost as tired as its owner. Watching half-consciously, the navy-haired teen let out a yawn.   
  
The first few minutes of training seemed to lag by, but as time passed, his consciousness gradually began to waken. He began to beam ever so slightly as he watched his Dragoon zigzagging its way across the floor, picking up more speed.   
  
'This sure brings back memories…' he thought to himself, remembering how much he enjoyed Beyblading.   
  
Like the rest of the group, excluding Kai, Tyson had been mostly occupied with something else beside blading after the Russian tournament. In his case, it was kendo. He trained everyday, learned and enhanced skills, and even won a few competitions.   
  
Although, despite the new interest in that art, his passion for blading had never faded. Perhaps he didn't practice as much as he did before, but he still was, and always will, a blader at heart.   
  
His dark hair softly whisked back as a light gale erupted from his Dragoon. The redlined blade swept gracefully across the floor with pride, reliving its purpose again.   
  
Tyson could feel a familiar sensation evince itself inside him. Grinning, his mind began to travel back, recollecting old memories.   
  
  
  
The sound of rubber tires hurried along the asphalt. Traffic lights flashed and changed systematically as cars bustled through the busy streets, most of which were heading to the same destination.   
  
A certain pale yellow bus progressed down the cement road in a swift, but cautious manner, along with the other vehicles. Through one of its windows, a boy with blonde hair could be seen with his rosy face pressed against the clear pane. His sapphire eyes glistened, reflecting the light from the sun and a broad smile was visibly plastered on his speckled face.   
  
"Dude, I can't wait to see Tyson's reaction when he sees all of you," beamed Max, turning to his friends. "He'll be totally psyched! And then we tell him the news, he'll probably be jumping all over the place!"   
  
"Now that's an under statement," commented a voice from the Chief's laptop.   
  
Kenny laughed, agreeing with his Bit Beast. "You're right Dizzi. He'll probably make a whole scene running across the stadium yelling and hooting like a maniac."  
  
"Probably," nodded Ray, smiling, "but I'd definitely be worried if his reaction was anything else."  
  
The teen's comment instantaneously resulted in a wave of murmured laughter through the front seats. The boys couldn't really help it, Tyson was just one of those people who could always put a smile on your face.   
  
He was funny, loud-mouthed, rash, stubborn and not to mention an all-natural, class-A, food disposal unit. Those are the things you just gotta love about him, apart from of how they sometimes make you wonder if there was actually a brain inside that thick skull of his.   
  
The uncommonly sound of a cell phone suddenly cut into the bus's atmosphere. The boys's heads jerked up as they glanced at one another, a bit puzzled. Their eyes instinctively began searching the vicinity, trying to find the source of the ringing.   
  
"Um…someone pick up their cell?" Ray suggested, cocking an eyebrow.   
  
"Oops!" exclaimed Kenny, smacking his forehead. "Sorry, Mr. Dickenson just gave it to me this morning," he explained apologetically, before quickly flipping the phone open. "Hello? Oh hi Sir… Yes we're on the way… I know, we just stopped by the-pardon me? …Oh okay! That's a good idea, but is there enough time? …Aw that's great! I'm sure Tyson'll appreciate it…. Okay, we'll meet you there later… Bye," he concluded, hanging up.   
  
"What did he say?" asked Ray.   
  
"Well, Mr. Dickenson suggested that we stop by the Hobby Shop to pick up some parts to upgrade Tyson's blade," stated Chief. "He said that although Tyson's Dragoon is not as advanced as the other Beyblades, he still possesses superior skill, which should pull him through the first round. The later matches, on the other hand, will be pitting him against rivals with not only advanced equipment, but greater abilities as well. Thus putting him at a disadvantage and lowering his chances of victory."  
  
"That's true," Max nodded thoughtfully. "Tyson might not be able to handle all of his opponents with all the new Beyblade developments."  
  
"So, is it okay with you if we go by the shop then?"   
  
The blonde winked, giving Kenny a thumbs-up. "Of course Chief, I told Tyson I'd help him out and I'm not planning on going back on my word anytime soon."   
  
The brunette stood up, pleased. "Great! In that case…um…Mr. Bus Driver? You think you can head for the Hobby Shop?" The olive-haired man nodded, taking a left.   
  
  
  
A man around his mid twenties sat in an antique-styled table, leaning patiently against the gray-framed window beside him. His dark eyes glanced down at the gold watch on his wrist. Letting out a soft sigh, he reached over to pick up his mug of coffee.  
  
"Oh great," he grumbled to himself, realizing its contents had evacuated. "Excuse me, Miss?" he asked a waitress passing by. "Can you pour me another cup please?"   
  
The lady nodded politely as she took the mug from his hand. "I'll be back in a flash." Smiling, she winked at him before walking off to the counter, her long blonde hair flowing down her back.   
  
On the opposite end of the coffee shop was a group of females. Occasionally, they'd sneak glances at the silver-haired man. He was fully aware of their brief stares, but it didn't faze him. Women gawking wasn't something foreign to him, he was quite used to it actually.   
  
The blonde returned, holding the newly filled mug in her hand. "Here you go," she ginned at him. "So, you got a name?"   
  
His night-coloured eyes looked up at her as he took a sip from the hot beverage. "Jet," he stated simply.   
  
"Jet…" she repeated, examining him closely. "Suits you."   
  
He scoffed blithely. "Thanks I guess."   
  
"Waiting for someone?" she pressed on.  
  
"You could say that."   
  
"Hm," she smirked. "Well I hope whoever you're meeting takes their time. It's not everyday a man like you walks in here," she added coquettishly.   
  
'Why am I not surprised to hear that?' he asked himself, trying to keep his ego from taking over. "Well, that's-" he began, but abruptly stopped as he felt a sudden vibration on his belt line. "Hold that thought."  
  
"Jet here," he affirmed, answering his phone. "Good morning to you too… Don't worry about it, it's only been fifteen minutes… Back at the hotel? Sure… Okay, talk to you soon, bye."   
  
"I'm guessing that was the person who you were supposed to meet with?" the girl's voice questioned as he put the phone away.   
  
He glanced at her before standing up. "Inquisitive, aren't you?" She nodded. "Well, if you must know, you're right. And it seems that I have to be on my leave."   
  
She frowned momentarily, but soon replaced it with a small grin. "In that case," she began, taking out a note pad and a pen. "Call me."   
  
The woman quickly scribbled her number on the paper and held it out to him, a flawless smile painted on her face. Jet cocked an eyebrow as he accepted the miniature sheet, putting it into his pocket. He gave her a slight smile before brushing past her and retreating out the door, the ladies' eyes staring after him.   
  
  
  
The seats were filling quickly as people flew into the arena in flocks. Excited chatter surged throughout the whole stadium like electricity through wires. Nerves flew through the dome, everyone eager for the competition to begin, especially the participants.   
  
"Wow…" Tyson whispered to himself, his eyes sweeping over the dish and hoards of spectators. "It's even better than I remember…" he awed.   
  
Smiling, Tyson turned around and walked back through the hallway, heading back to the contestant area. There were a lot of competitors, more than he expected. He got to talk to a few of them, most of them being around his age when he first started. Occasionally, he'd run into bladers around his age, which helped him not to feel too old.   
  
"No my blade!" a voice from across the room suddenly shrieked out. "You said this was only a friendly match! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!"  
  
"I felt like it," a cold voice replied indifferently.   
  
Tyson instinctively started towards the crowd that had gathered on the other side of the room. Carefully squirming his way through the Beybladers, he could soon see a young boy kneeling beside his disassembled blade, looking up angrily at another boy around Tyson's age.   
  
"How am I supposed to compete now?!" the younger one exclaimed.   
  
"Your problem, not mine," was the reply. Shrugging, the teen turned around. The crowd immediately parted into a narrow path, not wanting to get in his way.   
  
"HEY YOU!" Tyson yelped. "Where do you think you're going? You think you can just destroy people's blades like that?"   
  
He scoffed, keeping his back facing Tyson. "He wanted to battle, not me."   
  
"Well I think you owe him an apology." The boy sneered, slightly amused. Without saying another word, he began towards the exit. "Hey come back!" Tyson yelled in vain.   
  
"Don't bother, he's won't listen to you." Tyson turned, the younger boy now standing. "He's not even a competitor at this tournament. I heard he's just here as guest blader invited by Mr. Dickenson himself."   
  
"Well he sure needs an attitude adjustment…" Tyson grumbled to himself. "I'm sorry about your blade kid. I'm Tyson, by the way."   
  
"Chris," he answered. "Don't worry about it. I'm in the third string so hopefully that gives me enough time to put it back together."   
  
Before the conversation could go any further, the sound of the Jazzman declared the beginning of the first round. "That would be me," Tyson grinned.   
  
"Good luck Tyson," Chris smiled back.   
  
"Thanks," and with that, the navy-haired boy dashed into the hallway.   
  
  
  
  
hooeee.. dun worry, next chappie will have more battling XD i still tryin to build foundation, if yknow wut i mean ~^ n if the scenes confused u... scene 1 wuz tyson practicing, scene 2 wuz the guyz in the bus, scene 3 wuz about Jet, and scene 4 wuz Tyson at the tournament (the other guys r still at the Hobby Shop here) ~^ 


	3. More Encounters

people r still interested even though i have OCs! Yay! ^^;; arigatou gouzimas!!!! and i'm sorry dat i confused sum people! Jet is.. well we'll just say dat he works for Mr. Dickenson ~^ oh n who here dislikes that horrible bastard guy? LoL XD well i dun wanna give everything away, but i will tell you that u'll be seeing a lot of him so u better get used to him ~^ on a sidenote, BEYBLADE IS OVER!!!! *criez* was the season finale amazing or wut!?!? i'm both happy n sad about it all... n i think u'll prolly c that in this chapter XD neway, onto da fic ^^  
  
  
  
  
Star Horizons   
  
Chapter 3: More Encounters   
  
Occasionally people would enter and exit the hotel restaurant, parting with some kind of hot beverage or morning snack. They would arrive quietly in groups, whispering amongst themselves and leaving subtly after receiving their order.   
  
A limited amount of people sat at the normally busy tables engaged in a book, the daily press or some other form of quiet media. Amid those few was an elderly gentleman dressed in a professional suit and matching top hat, sitting patiently reading a newspaper.   
  
"Would you like to order anything Sir?" a young waitress asked.   
  
Mr. Dickenson looked up and gave her a warm smile. "No, but thank you for asking," he said genially. "Although, I wouldn't mind if I had another newspaper to entertain myself with."   
  
The brunette smiled back and nodded as she dismissed herself to the counter in search for any other compositions lying around.   
  
The plump elder reengaged himself with the Daily Paper, skimming through an editorial about the Regional Tournament today. As he read, Mr. Dickenson chuckled softly, wondering what kind of havoc his teenage guest was probably causing at the stadium right now.   
  
He had suggested that the young man wait at the hotel or wander around the city during the competition, but the adolescent was simply adamant about it and pressed on until Mr. Dickenson finally conceded his leaving.   
  
What a defiant and provoking character he had! Nevertheless, he was still a highly skilled Beyblader, which is why Mr. Dickenson entailed his presence in the first place.   
  
"Um, sir?" the waitress asked timidly. Mr. Dickenson's small eyes withdrew from the paper, politely giving her his attention. Thus, she continued. "This article is pretty old, but it's still a classic. That's why we still keep it. I hardly doubt anyone had forgotten about that event anyway."  
  
He looked at her curiously as she handed him the worn out paper, bowing and subsequently leaving. His eyes immediately scanned the heading, and both a smile and frown formed on his round face at the same time.   
  
"The Bladebreakers win World Championships" was the title. Now that was a day he'd never forget or the whole experience with the boys, as a matter of fact. Their odyssey was filled with moments of elation like winning their first championships in the Asian Tournament, but it also embodied many afflictions as well like the whole experience with Black Dranzer.   
  
Looking at the article's corresponding illustration, Mr. Dickenson sighed, both contently and dolefully as he remembered the past. He mused silently to himself, wondering whether the path of this journey would be intertwined with the last one.   
  
"Am I interrupting anything?" a male's voice suddenly came forth.   
  
Without any alarm, Mr. Dickenson brought the newspaper down onto the table calmly and grinned at the silver-haired man sitting across from him. "No, not at all," was the response. "Well Jet, I'm sorry for the sudden change of location, but I've been rather busy. I'm very pleased that you were able to make it."   
  
He returned the considerate welcome, nodding. "Likewise."   
  
"So, have you considered my proposition?" he asked, not wasting any time.   
  
Jet shook his head accordingly. "I have."   
  
"And have you come to a decision?"   
  
Another nod.   
  
"That would be?"  
  
"The first part is fine, but the second part…well they're not going to be happy about it," he stated simply. "Although, I do have confidence things will work out okay. Did you get a hold of…?  
  
"Yes, he's at the stadium right now."   
  
"Defiant?"   
  
"Very."   
  
Jet laughed. "I thought so. The newfound team and him might not get along very well at first and they'll be less that thrilled about who he is replacing."   
  
"I'm sure they'll get used to him," Mr. Dickenson smiled. "And I'm sure he'll eventually come around. Oh! That reminds me, have you talked to your team's captain about this little switch?"  
  
"I have," the dark eyed man nodded. "He said he'll go along with the exchange as well."  
  
"Wonderful!" exclaimed the plump gentleman. "I'm sure he'll fit in with my boys just fine. Speaking of which, we really should be on our way."  
  
Jet agreed, standing up.   
  
  
  
The party of four had arrived at the shop roughly around nine thirty and had promptly begun their pursuit for the required parts. Kai looked for attack rings, Max looked for blade bases, Ray looked for spin gear, and Kenny looked for weight disks while floating around seeking anything else that would be useful.   
  
At the present moment, the three darker haired boys were waiting restlessly in the bus for their blonde teammate to come out. His search had yet to end due to an extended need.   
  
Kenny sighed impatiently as he abruptly stood up. "That's it, I'm going in to get him," he declared, concerned that their arrival would be too late to be any use for Tyson. Hastily, he exited the bus and ran back to the shop, opening the door eagerly.   
  
He quickly skimmed the room, instantly spotting Max looking through a cupboard. "Max, Hurry up! I think the second round might be starting soon!" hollered Kenny, holding open the front door.   
  
Max looked up from the shelves for a brief second and sighed anxiously. "I know, I'm coming! I just need to find a defense ring!" he cried back, resuming back to his task.   
  
"Where is it?" he whispered to himself, searching fervently. "I know that it's here some- HEY! I GOT IT!" he shouted triumphantly, pulling it out from underneath masses of gear. "Wait up! I'll be out in a second!"  
  
The blonde quickly slipped the defense ring into his pocket, and scurried out the door, nearly knocking Kenny over in the process. "Oops! Sorry Chief!" he yelled behind him, hopping into the yellow vehicle.   
  
The young brunette rolled his eyes. "Yes, now he hurries," he mumbled to himself, trudging after his friend back to the bus.   
  
  
  
The navy-haired teen watched excitedly in his seat as the third succession came to an end. Cheering happily, he watched Chris's reassembled Beyblade fly back into his hand.   
  
With Tyson's help and some of Chris's other friends, putting the blade back together was a breeze. If he hadn't known better, he would have never guessed that the young boy's blade was trashed earlier. Now, the blonde was the victor of his string in the first round.  
  
"Hey buddy!" exclaimed Tyson, jumping out of the stands and sprinting towards his friend. "You were totally awesome out there! That was so sweet!" he grinned, giving him a thumbs up.   
  
Chris smiled back, his cheeks slightly tinted. "Aw thanks Tyson, but I wasn't that great out there," he replied modestly. "I mean compared to your round, mine was nothing," he added, remembering Tyson's victory.   
  
"Aw man," the teen blushed. "Well…I guess, but I'm still not as good as I used to be."  
  
"Used to be?" echoed Chris, the two boys now walking to the contestant area.   
  
"Yah," he began, "I used to Beyblade a lot when I was around your age. I just kinda stopped because of other things."  
  
"Then what brought you back here?" inquired the hazel-eyed boy.  
  
"My friend Max," Tyson explained. "He convinced me to try out for this competition just for old times sake. Y'know, he's actually supposed to be here…" his voice trailed off a bit as he looked down at the floor with a sigh, "but I guess he probably got wrapped up with work at the Hobby Shop…"   
  
"I'm sorry," Chris commented sympathetically.  
  
The sixteen-year-old looked up, smiling. "Don't worry about it. I still met some pretty awesome people," he nudged his new friend.   
  
Chris grinned back as he flicked a few strands of dirty blonde hair from his face. "Well the feelings are mutual Tyson," he replied good-naturedly. "And don't worry about your friend Max, he's probably just running a bit late. I'm sure he'll be here soon."   
  
"It's okay man. It kinda sucks but I'm sure I'll be fine even if he can't make it," nodded Tyson.   
  
"I highly doubt that," a familiar cold voice cut in.   
  
The two teens turned around to find a boy with night-coloured hair and complementary deep auburn eyes leaning carelessly against the doorframe. His dark red shirt was enclosed by a black trench coat that dangled shyly near his boots. One of his gloved hands was in a pocket on his navy jeans while the other had situated itself against the door case.   
  
"Well aren't we glad to see you again," Tyson said sarcastically. "What are you doing here anyway? You're not even competing."   
  
He shrugged, walking up to them. "I'm bored. Watching all these baby matches are tiresome, especially that last one," he added, smirking at Chris.   
  
"Why you-" Tyson began heatedly, but was pulled back by the blonde.   
  
"How pathetic," the dark-haired teen sighed, rolling his eyes. "This is such a waste of my time. I thought maybe I'd catch some interesting Beyblading action here, but all I've seen are some weak wannabes… I should've stayed back at the hotel," he said to himself quietly.   
  
Tyson glared at the teen, fuming. Without Kai around, he had forgotten how aggravating these egotistical bladers could be. This sure was blast from the past; except the difference was probably that the irritation level had amplified about five times.   
  
"Great, another arrogant prick to deal with," Tyson sighed to himself. "It's déjà vu all over again." Chris muffled a laugh, noticing the annoyed expression on the other boy's face.   
  
"Childish amateur," he stated, before brusquely exiting the room, his coat flowing behind him.   
  
The fourteen-year-old burst into laughter as soon as trench-coat boy was out of sight. "Did you see his face? I'm guessing he doesn't like people who joke around," he grinned at Tyson.   
  
Tyson nodded, laughing. "Well guys like him don't know how to lighten up. That's why they hate it so much."   
  
"But what got you to do that? I mean he may be full of himself, but he sure is intimidating."   
  
Tyson cocked his head, smiling. "Let's just say I've had a lot of experience with guys like him. My old team's captain wasn't exactly someone you'd describe as fun and friendly."   
  
"Let the semi-finals begin!!" DJ Jazzman suddenly announced in the open arena. "First match: defending champion Cyris versus the sensational newcomer Chris!!" A load roar could be heard from the seats as the crowd began to hype up, the cheers bouncing through the halls and into the room Tyson and Chris were in.  
  
"It looks like you're up first," grinned the darker-haired boy. "And you better win this one because I wanna battle you in the finals!"   
  
Chris returned that remark with confident smile. "You can count it."   
  
  
  
  
did that last scene remind u of nethin from the show? LoL XD like i said, it's a spin-off ^^ oh btw, does nebody here want me to introduce the girl OC's? cuz i can actually wait like 2 more chapterz or i can do sumthin next chapter... LoL, jus tell me ~^ oh and fer u people still interested in Everywhere... i am workin on it.. demo i really don't know wut to write -.- so till next time *bowz* 


	4. Satisfying Rout

Hiya!! I got chappie 4 up!! SQQUUUEEE!! Okay, you're gonna get a glimpse of some of the girl OCs here ~^ and i can tell you that one of em's name is Jade and she's Jade-55's OC! Thank you so much for letting me use her in my fic chicka!! ^____^ She's also writing another fic called Beynamite which u shud totally check out *wink* Nehow, on to the fic!  
  
  
  
  
Star Horizons   
  
Chapter 4: Satisfying Rout   
  
The bed remained unfixed, the white sheets and vermilion comforter tangled in a mass of swirls of what looked like strawberry syrup whirled in vanilla ice cream. Opposing the cheesecake mixture was another mattress whose vanilla preferred its compliment to be blueberry. Random clothing littered the floor while a few single-paired shoes rested peacefully on the carpet as if they were on the beach.   
  
A girl with light turquoise hair slowly entered the room carrying a large basket of laundry. She managed to take a few steps before ultimately dropping the oversized container on the ground. Sighing, she picked up the few garments that had fallen off during the release. As she placed the last piece of attire into the tub, she finally got a chance to get a good look at the room she was in.   
  
Two girls eating breakfast in the kitchen looked up as they heard a high-pitched screech from the bedroom.   
  
"I'm guessing she saw that little mess of ours," the one with fiery crimson hair said casually.   
  
The girl sitting across from her flicked a piece of light red hair from her face as she finished chewing her cereal. "I'm guessing your right…you wanna do the countdown or shall I?"   
  
"You, I did it last time."   
  
Her blue eyes sparkled playfully, giving her friend a nod. "Okay then: five…four…three…two…one…"   
  
"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME DID YOU TWO DO TO THE ROOM AGAIN!?!?" shrieked the turquoise haired girl, storming into the kitchen.   
  
The two redheads began to laugh at her usual outburst. "This isn't funny!" she yelled, exasperated.   
  
The darker haired one calmed her amusement as she stared at her friend intently with her emerald eyes. "Well let's video tape this act of yours and show you one day. Then you tell us that this isn't funny," she smirked.   
  
The violet-eyed girl sighed in defeat, sliding into a chair. "I swear, you two are gonna make me lose my mind one day," she declared. "And if I didn't know any better, I would think you two were related."   
  
The one with the tinted hair shook her head with a smile. "It's all just coincidence," she laughed.   
  
"Oh forget it!" she said dismissively. "Anyway, we need to clean things up. Jet called earlier when you lazy bums were still asleep and he's coming over. I think we'd make a better impression on him if this place didn't look like it was hit by a tornado, am I right?"  
  
For once, the two girls agreed. They simply nodded their heads as they headed to the disaster zone.   
  
  
  
"AHHH!!! We're so late! The semi-finals have definitely started by now!" exclaimed Chief, practically pulling out his hair at the same time. "By the time we get there, it'll be all over!"   
  
The boys had been stuck in a gridlock for quite some time now. Anxiety levels had undeniably raised a fair amount, especially for a certain computer genius. The Regional Tournament was, of course, a very special event, but never had the boys imagined that it would draw this many people. Beyblading had sure gotten quite popular over the last few years.   
  
"Easy there buddy," Max tried to comfort his friend. "I'm sure Tyson's doing okay. You know him, he won't give in without putting up a good fight."  
  
Kenny's shoulders slumped, his previously flailing arms now hanging loosely by his sides. "That's what I'm worried about," he groaned. "He'll probably keep battling until his blade is totally trashed…" Kenny paused for a brief moment before resuming back to the art of hair pulling. "This is all my fault! I should have accounted the possibility of traffic, or maybe we shouldn't have gone to the Hobby Shop in the first place or I could have-"   
  
"It's nobody's fault," a stern voice abruptly suspended the brunette's babbling. The younger boys all looked at the usually quiet teenager who was sitting casually on his seat, strands of blue hair poised carelessly near his crimson eyes. "We can't see the future," he stated simply. "So there's no one to blame. How were we supposed to know that traffic would be this bad? It's no use griping about it now. What's done is done."  
  
"Kai's right," agreed the blonde. "Besides, even if we hadn't gone back to the Hobby Shop and went straight to the arena, what good would we have been to Tyson without any spare parts? At least this way, we still have a chance of helping him out, even if we are late."  
  
Kenny took a deep breath, ruffling his hair gently. Max had a point there. Without spare parts, they would have been just as useful to Tyson as they were being stuck in a traffic jam.   
  
The brunette sighed, knowing they were logically correct, but still feeling dissatisfied about their situation. "I know what you're saying Max," he began, "and it's true, but I still wish we could be there to give him some moral support! What do you propose we do now? Sit here and wait until this infinite line up starts moving again?"   
  
There was a short moment of silence before- "We run," a firm voice declared, reinitiating the sound waves.   
  
The Russian, American, and Japanese boys looked at their Chinese friend, more or less bewildered with his suggestion. Run? All the way to the arena? Probably be at it for at least six kilometers? That wasn't something they were very keen on setting out to do.   
  
Ray glanced at his friends, who were looking quite hesitant about his brilliant plan. "Got a better idea?" he finally asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because if you do I'd love to hear it."   
  
"Hn, there isn't a better idea," replied Kai, pushing himself off his seat. "So? Let's go," he directed simply, exiting the bus.   
  
Max parted his mouth slightly to call after him, but closed it again as his lips widened into a broad smile. "Well you heard him," he grinned, hopping out of his seat. "Let's go!"   
  
The blonde bolted after Kai, leaving only Kenny and Ray left in the bus. The dark-haired teen started to head to the door, but paused as he turned back to his young comrade. "You coming Chief?"   
  
The brunette sighed, standing up. "Well I don't have much of a choice, do I?" he said back, commencing along after the rest.   
  
  
  
"Whoa! And Cyris's blade is maneuvering its way over the logs to get across the river! It doesn't look he'll let Chris shake him off that easily!" an enthusiastic AJ Topper commented.   
  
"Of course not," Brad Best rang in. "Cyris is the defending champion! He's not gonna just hand the pauper his crown on a silver platter. Chris'll have to earn it!"  
  
The crowd was howling with excitement, genuinely enjoying the match, but who wouldn't? Chris and Cyris were putting on one amazing show! Both boys were giving it everything they had. It was the third round of the match, the two players were deadlocked, and the pressure had naturally increased a considerable amount.   
  
"Come on buddy!" Tyson yelled on the sidelines. "I know you can do it! Just give it all you've got!"   
  
Chris could hear his friend cheering him on and a faint smile played onto his lips. He didn't tell him, but he actually knew that Tyson was from the once renowned team, the Bladebreakers. The young blonde knew all about what they went through and he was actually a really big fan of theirs.   
  
The Breakers had been a significant motivator for Chris when it came to Beyblading. It was their example about never giving up and just believing in yourself that always kept Chris going, even in the toughest situations.  
  
'I'm not gonna let him down,' he proclaimed to himself determinedly. "Cyris!" Chris shouted. "I don't care whether you are the defending champion or not! YOU ARE GOING DOWN!"   
  
"We'll just see about that kid," Cyris muttered darkly under his breath. His silent threat was put into action, as his blade suddenly seemed to move up a notch in everyway possible: its spin, its agility and its power.   
  
"It looks like Chris might be in trouble!" exclaimed AJ. "Cyris is heading straight for his blade like runaway train!"  
  
"'This is it," Chris whispered to himself, clenching his fists. "It's now or never…ATTACK!!" he ordered his blade ferociously.  
  
"I guess Chris is tired of running and they're going for a head-to-head collision!" proclaimed Brad.   
  
Both Beyblades spun furiously towards each other, neither showing any sign of doubt. In the next second, there was a thunderous clash as the two blades finally met each other personally. Immediately following, one of the blades sprung from the dish onto the cold floor.   
  
The crowd stared in awe, waiting for the winner to be announced. DJ Jazzman carefully looked at the blade lying on the floor and soon brought the microphone to his mouth. "The winner of this match is our defending champion, CYRIS!!!" he declared, resulting in excited cheers from the audience.   
  
"What an awesome match! I gotta say AJ, that Chris sure gave Cyris a run for his money!"   
  
"You can say that again! I'm sure that we'll be seeing a lot more of this promising blader in the future."   
  
Meanwhile on the playing ground, Chris was kneeling down, picking up his blade. "I guess I still have a long way to go," he sighed to himself.   
  
"That was a really good match," a voice cut in.  
  
Chris looked up to see Cyris standing there with an extended hand. "Heh, thanks," he replied, accepting his kind gesture, "but the better blader still won."   
  
"You've got a lot of potential kid, I'm sure we'll meet again in the future. And when that day comes, I expect more of you."   
  
The blonde smiled, nodding his head. "Of course," he smirked.   
  
Cyris shook his head accordingly before leaving the Beyfield. Chris stared after his opponent. He didn't win, but he gave it all he had…and that's all that mattered. Looking down at his Beyblade, he promised that next time, he would win.   
  
  
  
A certain black-haired teenager watched the entire match like a hawk. His dark auburn eyes studying both bladers's moves and his mind fervently contemplating on ways to counter them. If he wanted to be the best, he would have to be ready for anything.   
  
As much as it pained him to admit, Chris put up a good fight against Cyris, especially considering that he was the defending champion and probably a year or two older than the light-haired boy, but it's not like he'd ever admit that out loud to anyone. Of course not. He had to keep up his tough exterior up. Just as he learned when he was younger, the weak perish while the strong rise to the top.   
  
His musings were cut short as the cell phone given to him by Mr. Dickenson rang. He quickly left his seat and made his way into the hallway, picking up the phone.   
  
"Hello?… Yes I'm fine…Hah, well I guess you can say I've been interacting with other people here… Yah I met Tyson, but the only thing I can see is his big mouth…Whatever, if you say so…Traffic jam?… Okay then…Bye."   
  
He clicked the red button on the small device and slipped it into his pocket. With a bored sigh, he began to stride through the halls. So far, today has definitely been uneventful.   
  
After arriving at the hotel quite early in the morning, he was told to either wait there or wander aimlessly until all the proper arrangements were finalized. Yeah right! Like he was just going to waste his time with trivialities. It took a while, but he convinced Mr. Dickenson to let him attend the Regional Tournament just to watch, which so far, has proven to be of no use to him. With the exception of the last battle, everything else was painfully too novice for his taste.   
  
Now, all he could do was wait for Mr. Dickenson while watching the next match between that loud-mouth Tyson and whoever his opponent is. What an exciting plan.   
  
  
  
  
Confused? That's wonderful! I guess your just gonna have to keep reading and reviewing to understand what's going on huh? LoL, ^^ arigatou gouzimas for making it this far, i hope ur enjoyin reading it as much as i enjoy writing it ^^ 


	5. Unexpected Player

Welcome to chappie 5 ^^ Now i do apologize i can't update more than once a week, demo at the moment, we are getting bombarded with last minute essays *criez* GAAAH!! evil evil teacherz XD and yes, Tyson will be on the Bladebreakers team so no worriez ^^ Neway, hope u enjoy the chappie ^^  
  
  
  
  
Star Horizons   
  
Chapter 5: Unexpected Player   
  
The navy-haired teen sat hunched over on a bench. His hands intertwined as the familiar white Beyblade rested patiently on his palms. His eyes were locked on the metal figure in a hypnotic way, while his mind was occupied musing about his next match.  
  
His performance had been adequate enough for the last few rounds, but one has to keep in mind that it was just the beginning, just a taste of what is to come in the future. Tyson knew this and was also fully aware that being in the semi finals meant that things would naturally heat up.   
  
"Tyson?" a voice called from the door. "What are you still doing here? Your match is gonna start soon."  
  
His posture straightened as he brought his attention to his friend, who stood jauntily by the entrance. "I know, I'll be out soon. Just doing some last minute thinking."   
  
Chris raised an eyebrow wonderingly. "You're not worried about the match, are you?"   
  
"No," he responded immediately, only to be followed by an unsure glance at his blade. "…Okay…maybe *just* a little," he admitted awkwardly.   
  
"Well don't, you have nothing to worry about. Just give it your best shot and have fun," grinned the blonde.   
  
Tyson looked at the younger boy curiously. That remark was strangely familiar. In fact, a lot of Chris's character was like déjà vu.   
  
The light-haired boy cocked his head, still smiling. "Just believe in yourself…and your Dragoon."   
  
Tyson blinked, rather surprised. He hadn't even used Dragoon at all and AJ and Brad unpredictably hadn't said a word about his past either. "How do you-"  
  
"It's legendary," Chris cut him off, knowing what his question would have been. "Anyone who knows their Beyblade history would know about the Bladebreakers. Plus… I'm a fan of you guys," he confessed with a lopsided grin. "Y'know anytime I'm tempted to just throw in the towel, I just think of how you guys never gave up and it keeps me going. And even though I lost today…I know I did my best and next time, I'll do even better."  
  
Tyson couldn't help but allow a grin to form on his face. Listening to Chris talk was like a breath of fresh air. His mind seemed to instinctively travel back to a thirteen-year-old in a red and blue baseball cap. That boy was stubborn as hell and refused to ever give in. Even though it got him into a heap of a mess sometimes, things always worked out.  
  
"You sound like someone I know," Tyson finally said, the smile still lingering on his lips. "Thanks for reminding me."   
  
Chris beamed, nodding. "Well then buddy, I think you're ready to go."  
  
"Hold on, I just wanna stay here for a bit longer," he said back, receiving a puzzled look from his friend. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Go ahead, I'll be out in a minute."   
  
The blonde chuckled softly. "If you say so," he smirked before retreating out into the hall.   
  
As soon as he left, Tyson fixed his gaze back on Dragoon. "Are you ready?" he asked, getting a faint glow in response. "Okay then, I know we can do this," he said taking a deep breath.   
  
Finally slipping his blade into a pocket, he stood up. He turned to face the door to leave, when a figure unexpectedly stepped into view in the hall. Tyson blinked, looking at the boy inquiringly. The teen was standing just outside the door, giving Tyson the same expression that he had on.   
  
His dark chocolate eyes had a benign feeling to them, and a few playful strands of his light brown hair hovered over his soft features. A blue collared vest was pulled over his light ivy shirt, while black fingerless gloves enclosed his palms.   
  
Suddenly blinking out of their peculiar situation, the boy stepped forward with a sheepish smile. "Sorry if I interrupted anything," he said apologetically. "I was just kind of passing by when I saw you there."   
  
"Oh! Don't worry about it; I was just getting ready to leave. I'm Tyson," he grinned back, introducing himself.   
  
"Hi Tyson, I'm-hey wait a minute!" he exclaimed, followed by a brief pause. "Are Tyson from the Bladebreakers? The team that beat the Demolition Boys?" he questioned excitedly.  
  
'Dude! Maybe everybody does know who I am but isn't saying anything,' he thought to himself, taken back. "Yah that's me," he said proudly, pointing a thumb at himself.   
  
All of the sudden, the boy's expression grew somewhat serious as he cocked an eye brow. "Don't you have a match now?" he asked bluntly.  
  
"WHA?!" exclaimed Tyson, caught off guard by the forthright question. One minute he seems like a fan, the next he sounds like some kind of coach. "Eheheh…" he laughed nervously. "Yaaaah…."  
  
"Then what are you still doing here?"   
  
"I was just…well…I…um…" he stuttered.   
  
The brunette shook his head, a good-natured grin suddenly appearing on his face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out there," he smiled, his tone alleviated, "but you really should be getting to your match unless you wanna be disqualified."   
  
As if on cue, the Jazzman's voice bounced into the room, paging the two competitors for the second match of the semi-finals.   
  
"AH! I gotta go!" cried out the teen. "Nice talking to ya dude!" he yelled, as he dashed into the hallway.   
  
"Good luck Tyson," he said quietly, an impish grin on his face.   
  
  
  
The four boys panted tiredly, resting lazily on a bench. The last little while was definitely unexpected. Now, they knew that they were going to have to run to the stadium, but they didn't know that their motive would be something more than to simply get there for Tyson. They also hadn't anticipated their run to be as if they were in an actual race.   
  
"Do you think we lost them?" Ray asked, his lungs still lacking some oxygen.   
  
"Yah…I think so," huffed Kenny, glancing in the direction they had come from, "but why were they chasing us? Do they know who we are?"   
  
"I hardly doubt that," shrugged Kai, getting up again.   
  
"Hormones," winked Max, "but I did think girls were shyer than that…"   
  
Ray put a hand under his chin thoughtfully, a small grin playing onto his face. Some girls were shy, of course, but not all of them. Especially the ones he had run into when he was traveling. Those girls had probably never even heard of the word "shy". Well, unless your definition of "shy" included constant flirtatious actions.  
  
"Well girls can get pretty scary when they're going after what they want," Ray added in with a smirk.  
  
"They're gone now, it doesn't matter," stated Kai who was already gaining some distance.   
  
Kenny looked up to see the older teen walking away as if nothing had even happened. "He's a robot, isn't he?" he sighed. "We spend I don't even know how long running like chickens with their heads chopped off, and he barely needs a minute to rest!"  
  
"I heard that," a distant voice retorted.   
  
The blonde laughed, getting up as well. "Oh you know Kai," he grinned, following suit. "He's just a tough guy. Besides, if we wanted to spend our time sitting around, we could have just stayed back on the bus. Hey Kai! Wait up!" he yelled, bolting towards the blue-haired boy.   
  
  
  
"You mean to tell me that whoever I'm battling isn't even here yet?!" exclaimed Tyson, staring at Chris.   
  
"Well he is here! Just…well, not in the battle zone yet," he replied childishly.   
  
The navy-haired boy sighed, leaning against the wall. He could have stopped for something to eat! And if he wasn't battling yet, then all he had left to think about was how hungry he was, but that's no surprise there.   
  
"Do you think I'll have time just to get a quick bite? I'm staaaaarving!" he whined.   
  
The blonde shook his head. "I think it's safer if you wait till after your match. I'm sure the other guy will be here soon."  
  
Before Tyson could protest, he heard a faint "think fast" and something was suddenly thrown at him. Barely catching it, he curiously looked up to see who the sender was.   
  
"Oh it's you!" grinned Tyson, recognizing him as the brunette he had met up with earlier.   
  
The boy smiled back, nodding. "Just overheard you talking about food," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Thought you might want some help."   
  
"Thanks," beamed Tyson, beginning to unwrap the foiled gift. His eyes soon widened hungrily as he saw the contents of his surprise present. "CHICKEN!!" he hollered triumphantly, holding the drumstick in the air as if it were a trophy. "WHOA!! THANKS DUDE!!" he shouted gratefully, joyful tears rimming his eyes.   
  
Chris and the brunette subsequently began laughing as Tyson began his task of devouring the piece of meat. If he could Beyblade with half of the passion he had when he ate, he'd probably win every match without dropping a sweat.   
  
Tyson completely engulfed the drumstick in ten seconds flat, and not a moment too soon because just as he finished chewing the last morsel, DJ Jazzman began to speak.   
  
"And it looks like it's time for the second match of the semi finals to begin!" he declared, receiving shouts of approval from the audience.   
  
Tyson's navy eyes darted around the playing ground, confused. Where was the other player? He was nowhere in sight! He was about to ask Chris about it, when the Jazzman recommenced his announcements.   
  
"And I want everybody to give a loud welcome for the returning sensation, TYSON!!!" Now, it didn't seem possible, but the crowd's roar seemed to have grown exponentially as Tyson started his way towards the dish. Then, the commentaries began.   
  
"I knew he looked familiar!" began Brad Best in a deep, but excited voice. "This teen is none other than Tyson Granger!"   
  
"And we all know who that is," added in AJ Topper, "but so far, he hasn't even used his trademark storm attack yet! And his battling style seemed to have calmed down a bit from the last time we saw him. Do you think maybe he's softened?"  
  
"I don't know but I guess we'll soon find out," replied Brad.   
  
'Okay…well I guess now everybody knows who I am,' thought Tyson, staring wide-eyed at the scream-filled arena.   
  
"And the other competitor who has been an incredible upstart throughout the entire tournament. Let's all give another welcome to…RICHI!" Another deafening howl erupted from the audience as the second challenger's name was called. Tyson was about to begin his search again when a sincere hand was placed on his shoulder.   
  
"Good luck." The teen turned his head to see that familiar brunette smirking at him.   
  
Tyson watched speechlessly as the other boy then made his way to the opposite end of the dish. Turning to face him, he carelessly pulled out a chocolate-gold coloured Beyblade from a pocket on his indigo track pants. His soft expression casually began to change into a daring gaze as his brown eyes narrowed devilishly.   
  
Tyson stared back, tightening his fist. 'This is going to get interesting…'   
  
  
  
  
Guyz I'm sorry fo the slight cliff-hanger ~^ demo i must start my two essays due tomorrow.. -.- grr... till next time! 


	6. Howling Skies

Hey reader! Gomen for the slight delay.. LoL, atleast it's still Sunday ^^;; Anyway, I must warn you that this chappie is rather cliche-ish ~^ It's spose to be like that because.. well, u'll find out ^^;; Can anyone tell me who Richi's character is based on by the end of this chapter? LoL XD Also, because of a certain person's review... the one and only Davis Motomiya is gonna be doing the commentaries for the ending ^^;; Okay, time to stop my babble, enjoy! =P   
  
  
  
  
Star Horizons   
  
Chapter 6: Howling Skies   
  
"Players, are you ready?" Jazzman began with a booming voice. The two competitors held their shooters keenly, eyeing each other challengingly. "On my mark: 3, 2, 1, let it rip!"  
  
"Battle blade!" Tyson cried out.  
  
"Let it rip!" Richi shouted the next second.   
  
The two blades met each other head on, both equally feeling the force of the other boy's launch. They rebounded off each other swiftly and landed on opposite ends of the bowl, spinning wildly. Neither of them wasted any time waiting around and both initiated their assaults.   
  
"Look at them go!" commented AJ. "These boys aren't the least bit hesitant in finishing the other off."  
  
"Well they're competitors AJ…of course they want to finish each other off."  
  
"Oh right!" he exclaimed absurdly. "I knew that."   
  
'What is he up to?' Tyson asked himself as he watched the two blades carefully. 'Hm…well why should I wait to find out?' he added with a smirk. "Hey Dragoon! Show him your stuff!"   
  
Tyson's command was obeyed as the white blade suddenly vanished. The crowd responded with heated chatter; moves like that was always an attention grabber.   
  
Apparently, most new bladers nowadays preferred to simply use constant raiding during battles and it was something the audience was used to seeing. Occasionally though, distinct competitors here and there would use a variety of other techniques, like what Tyson is doing right now. Diverse styles were always interesting to watch.   
  
"Whoa! Do my eyes deceive me or did Tyson just pull out a trick from that hat of his?"   
  
"For once AJ, I can tell you that you aren't seeing things. It seems that time off hasn't affected Tyson's sense of style at all."   
  
Richi's gold blade spun coolly in the center of the dish, as if there wasn't a single care in the world. Waiting for the perfect time to strike, the white blade had yet to make its reappearance again.   
  
Tyson was grinning cockily as he opened his mouth, getting ready to start some trash talk. Before he said a word, he blinked, noticing what Richi was engaged in. "H-hey! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he exclaimed.   
  
The brunette looked up, holding a piece of chicken. "Huh? Oh sorry, did you want some?"   
  
"THIS IS A BEYBLADE MATCH! Even I wouldn't do that!!" Tyson hollered back.   
  
"Is it against the rules to be eating during a match?" Brad asked.  
  
"Well, not that I know of, but it's not exactly the smartest thing to be doing. What is this kid up to?"   
  
Richi shook his head with a grin, swallowing the piece of meat in his mouth. "Well I was getting kind of bored waiting for you to actually do something," he smirked, wrapping the remaining poultry in tin foil and subsequently slipping it into his pocket. "Personally, I was anticipating on a really tough battle, not a magic show. Y'know I was expecting a little bit more from you Tyson."   
  
The navy-haired teen's eyes narrowed on his opponent. "More, huh? Well I'll show you more! Dragoon attack!!"   
  
Suddenly, the white blade re-emerged a split second before coming in contact with Richi's Beyblade. It was a perfect body slam, sending the gold blade flying into the air.  
  
"So how was that for you? Did I meet your expectations?" Tyson asked smugly.   
  
"Hm…I gotta admit, that was a nice move," Richi shrugged, "but I suggest you don't start celebrating yet," he grinned, motioning Tyson to look up.   
  
Curiously, his dark blue eyes glanced up, and soon began to widen.   
  
  
  
Flicking a loose strand of black hair from his face, his crimson eyes observed the ongoing battle inquiringly. This battle was a far more interesting than the other ones since Tyson and this Richi fellow were more evenly matched.   
  
Although at the present moment, it looked as if Richi had the upper hand. After Tyson's direct assault, it appeared that his opponent's blade simply boomeranged right back at the white blade. In addition, the rebound's force was just as strong, if not stronger, than the original hit.   
  
His auburn eyes followed Tyson's Beyblade as it was sent wobbling towards the edge of the dish.   
  
"AH! Hang in there Dragoon!" he heard Tyson yell frantically.   
  
"Uh oh, it looks like Tyson isn't doing too hot out there," noted Brad.   
  
"He better watch out because it looks like Richi is about ready to kick him right out of the dish!" AJ chimed in.   
  
The dark-haired teen smirked, crossing his arms. "Let's see you get out of this one kid," he commented quietly.  
  
  
  
Tyson watched anxiously as Richi's blade began its continuous bashing into his Dragoon, tying to push him out of the dish. Clenching a fist, his mind began working furiously. He didn't know how much more of this Dragoon could take, but if it kept up, the inevitable would surely happen any second.   
  
"Dragoon! Shake him off now!!"   
  
The white Beyblade seemed to have a sudden burst of speed as it unexpectedly whipped away from the attack.   
  
"Heh, that's another good move Tyson," grinned the brunette. "I'm beginning to get impressed, but your still not there yet," he added, arching an eyebrow.   
  
Tyson stared heatedly as his adversary. What exactly was he trying to do? What exactly did he want Tyson to do?   
  
"Confused?" Richi smirked. "Do I actually have to spell it out for you? Hn. I promise you that I_will_win if you don't figure things out soon. Come on Tyson, think about it. You obviously can't body slam my blade out. So, what are you going to do?"   
  
He looked at Richi strangely. He really did sound like a coach. The advice Richi had given him was vaque, but still advice nonetheless. Thinking, and watching the two blades closely, Tyson took a deep breath.   
  
"Okay, so I can't just hit him out…so what can I-OH! I GOT IT!" he exclaimed, pumping a fist. The previously puzzled expression of his face quickly changed into a determined look. "Well if you wanted to be blown out of the dish so quickly, you should have said so earlier," he grinned at Richi. "DRAGOON STORM ATTACK!!"   
  
"Is it just me or do I see a storm brewing up down there?"   
  
"Nope! So you better put on your wind breaker Brad because Tyson is getting ready to do his famous storm attack!"  
  
  
  
The four teenagers stood at the entrance. Finally making it to the arena, an excited roar from the audience greeted them.  
  
"Whoa did you hear that?" asked Max. "Sounds like something really big is going on!"  
  
The blonde then began to run towards the battle area, curious to see what was going on. The other boys immediately followed the energetic blonde, also wanting to check out the action.   
  
"Hey look it's Tyson!" Max pointed out, standing in the aisle of stairs.   
  
The three other boys reached their friend and initiatively moved their heads in the direction that Max indicated. Sure enough, there was Tyson standing there, looking just as determined as the last time they saw him battling.   
  
"Hm…maybe he doesn't need our help," commented Ray, noticing how their old friend seemed to have things under control.   
  
"We should get a closer look," stated Kenny. "I suggest we head for the competitors area."   
  
His friends nodded in agreement, turning back into the hallway.   
  
  
  
"So how's that? Good enough for you yet?" Tyson began the trash talk, only to receive a simple smirk from his opponent.   
  
Dragoon had done exactly what his blader wanted. There was now a huge tornado surrounding Richi's blade, yet, it still spun there as if nothing was going on. Complementary to his Beyblade, Richi's expression showed no sign of distress or fear. This individual was obviously not one to be intimidated easily.   
  
"Well Richi? Do you have anything to say or has this show made you lose you voice?"   
  
"Lose my voice?" Richi echoed with a laugh. "Heh, I think I've accidentally made you believe that you stand a chance against me. Don't get me wrong, you're really good, but to put it simply, I'm better."   
  
Tyson stared dumbfounded. 'This guy is so confusing!' he yelled in his mind. 'First he says all this stuff to get me to do my storm attack and then when I finally do it, he says he's better than me! Hm. I'll show him.'   
  
"Dragoon! Lets show him what we've got!" The storm began to intensify and unavoidably, Richi's blade began to slowly lift up. "It looks like you're all talk dude because I am going to finish you off," he declared, watching the wind push up even harder.   
  
Another grin crossed Richi's face. "I think I'm being unfair to you. I suppose I should quit the charades. You showed me your power…now it's time for you to see mine," he announced mischievously. "DRAIKIN!!"   
  
Tyson's eyes widened to see a golden wolf emerge out of the airborne Beyblade. Its deep and dangerous growls began filling the arena: it was the sound of a predator getting ready to pounce on its prey.   
  
"Oh by the way, thanks for the lift into the air Tyson," Richi added genuinely. "Usually Draikin's gotta jump up for his attack, but your storm did that for us."   
  
'Aw man…what did I get myself into?' Tyson groaned to himself.   
  
"So you ready? Because if you're not, that's just too bad," he said with a cocky grin. "Well ready or not, cuz here it comes…DRAIKIN! METEOR RAID!!" he proclaimed the attack.   
  
The wolf replied with a vicious howl and the bright aura around it quickly transformed into orbs of golden energy. With one last cry, Draikin, along with his meteors began ferociously raining down towards Tyson's blade. Ripping through the fierce winds easily, a deafening crash was soon heard as they came in contact with the white Beyblade.   
  
  
  
"Oh no!" exclaimed Chief, feeling the aftermath vibration. He looked up to find Tyson standing stiffly beside the dish, his Dragoon lying motionlessly beside him.   
  
"And the winner of the first round is…Richi!" proclaimed the Jazzman. The audience approved of the victor with vivacious howling.   
  
Kenny watched as Tyson knelt down beside his blade. It looked like he was examining it, and by the expression on his face, he didn't look too happy.   
  
  
  
"It's totally trashed," Tyson quietly declared. "And most of the extra parts were used to put Chris's blade back together…"   
  
"Hey kid, are you ready for the next round?" asked the Jazzman.   
  
"I…well I-"  
  
"He will be in fifteen minutes!" a boy's voice cut Tyson's stammering.   
  
"Huh?" Tyson looked up to see four familiar figures standing in the hallway. Then, he simply stared in astonishment. His friends. They were actually here.   
  
  
  
  
Dude! Tyson got creamed there, but at least he's got his friends with him now. Are they gonna be able to help him out though? Or is Tyson gonna be kissing the ground again? Tune in next time for the next chappie of Star Horizons! 


	7. More than Meets the Eye

Good morning/afternoon/evening reader! Wow..it's like 10pm here XD Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this fic because I'm actually having more fun writing it now ^^;; Thank you for reading and for those who review too, it's a real morale booster *wink* ^^ and I really appreciate it. And for you Tyson fans, I'm sorry that I made him lose, but keep in mind that he hasn't bladed pro-level for like three years XD And hey I really like him too! Anyway, I'll stop talking, enjoy the chappie ^^  
  
  
  
  
Star Horizons   
  
Chapter 7: More than Meets the Eye   
  
Tyson continued to stare blankly at his old group as if they were a quartet of movie stars. It had been such a long time since the five of them were all together like this that it almost felt like he was simply reliving the past when he was a Bladebreaker.   
  
Being a Bladebreaker…now that was a time he'd never forget, and seeing his friends like this helped to refresh all those past memories as well. Tyson couldn't help but to remember how they were always there for him cheering him on; they were what you'd call real friends.   
  
'I can't believe this…they're here…all of them…' he thought in complete awe, his navy eyes glancing at each boy as if making sure they weren't a mirage. Kenny, Kai, Max, and Ray…his old team was actually standing right in front of him, and even so, he still couldn't believe his eyes.   
  
There's an old saying that says, "seeing is believing", but in Tyson's case, it was more like, "experiencing is believing". He was only able to fully absorb the whole situation when that familiar go-lucky blonde just couldn't refrain any longer and had glomped him excitedly. The next thing you know, it's déjà vu all over again with Tyson and Max laughing hysterically on the floor.   
  
"Um…I guess we'll take a fifteen minute break for Tyson to take a pit stop," Jazzman declared, unable to resist from glancing at the two strange boys who were in mysterious hysterics on the ground.   
  
"Maxie! You actually made it!!" Tyson exclaimed, recovering a bit from the hilarity. "And Kenny! Kai! Ray! What are you guys doing here?! I'm pretty sure only Max knew about me entering this thing…" he said thoughtfully, putting a hand on his chin. "And hey Kenny! Aren't you supposed to be in like Australia with Mr. Dickenson or something? And Ray, how in the world did you fly back here? And Kai! What made you show up? You actually fit me into your busy schedule of training?"   
  
His four friends rolled their eyes simultaneously, while Kai shot him a scowl that ultimately turned into a smirk. Same old, dense, big-mouthed Tyson; you gotta love him.   
  
"Why don't we talk about this in the competitor's area?" suggested Kenny, who was noticing all the stares that were building up.   
  
"Good idea," smiled Max, standing up again. He held out a friendly hand to Tyson who gladly took it and the group of five soon headed to the player's region.   
  
Still on the opposite end of the dish was Richi, who had had remained stationary throughout the Bladebreaker reunion. As he watched them leave, a small grin managed to cross onto his soft lips involuntarily. It was just a reflex for him to smile when he saw people looking so happy. For you see, despite his seemingly double c, cocky and crafty, character when he bladed, Richi was actually an all-around nice guy.   
  
Still grinning, he quickly looked at his golden blade before slipping it into the pocket without the left over chicken. 'I think it's safe to say that those are the rest of the Bladebreakers,' he thought with a smirk. 'They must be here to help Tyson. Heh, cute.' With that last thought, he began making his way to the participant's vicinity as well, but before he got too far, a deep voice suddenly called out his name from a distance.   
  
The brunette looked around curiously; that voice was undeniably familiar. As he eyes scanned his surroundings, he soon noticed a suited man with silver hair leaning against the wall inside the hallway. He grinned, knowing that man all too well. Casually, he advanced towards him with his arms crossed over his chest.   
  
"Hi," he said simply, now also standing in the hallway.   
  
"So, any opinions?" asked Jet, getting right into business.   
  
Richi shook his head. "Well no, I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to all of them yet," he said bluntly. "Speaking of which…have you gotten a chance to talk to the others?" he asked in an almost shy manner.   
  
The metallic-haired gentleman shook his head. "I thought I might check up on you first. So, are you okay with all this?" he questioned, his voice more gentle than usual.   
  
The chocolate-haired boy nodded slowly, while instinctively looking at his shoes. "I guess…" he replied in a tone a bit less than confident.   
  
"Kid, I know you're not exactly as sure as sure can be right now, but trust me, it's all gonna work out," he said to the teenager reassuringly. "Just trust me."  
  
Richi managed a small grin as he brought his attention away from his shoes. There were still a few doubts lingering his mind, but he also knew that Jet wouldn't do anything if it weren't for the best. Besides, no one would ever get anywhere if they never took any chances with a little faith.   
  
  
  
"Dude! I still can't believe this!" exclaimed Tyson who was practically bouncing off the walls. "How did you all manage to get here?"   
  
"Um…why don't Dizzi and I start updating your blade before our fifteen minutes is up?" recommended the Chief, who said that partly because they really should upgrade Tyson's blade, but also because he wanted to change the subject.   
  
"Oh right!" grinned the navy-haired teen before passing the younger boy his Dragoon.   
  
"I'll help too," chimed in Max, making his way to where Kenny was seated.   
  
Tyson was about to start babbling again when he noticed his newfound friend standing quietly by the door. "Oh guys! I'd like you to meet a friend of mine," he stated loudly, a wide grin on his face. The light-haired boy's eyes widened, rather surprised at Tyson's sudden declaration. "What are you doing still standing there? Get in here!" hollered Tyson.   
  
Chris blinked, shyly stepping into the room. The sixteen-year-old immediately put an arm around his neck, nearly choking him half to death. With a goofy grin on his face, Tyson finally gave the younger boy a chance to acquire some desperately needed oxygen. "Guys, this is Chris. Chris, meet Max, Ray, Kai, and Kenny," he smiled, pointing at each boy respectively.   
  
"I know who you guys are," Chris said softly, who on the inside was actually extremely excited. "It's an honor to actually meet all of you," he added with a timid smile. Meeting Tyson was one thing, but meeting all of the Bladebreakers was just plain unbelievable.   
  
"Aren't you going to introduce me?" a familiar voice suddenly interrupted their meeting. "I am the one who saved you from starvation, eh Tyson?"   
  
Of course, who else would be standing at the doorframe but the bearer of chicken. Richi walked in nonchalantly, noticing the neutral expressions on the others's faces as he glanced around the room. Tyson, in particular, wasn't exactly mad, but he wasn't really happy either. He was…well let's just say he was simply himself.   
  
"So what are you doing here? Come to try to help me fix my blade in someway that'll be to your advantage?" Tyson asked in a tone a bit short of pleasant.   
  
Richi rolled his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry if you saw it that way, but it wasn't my fault that you didn't use my advice correctly. During that battle, I was the better blader and we all know that the better blader always wins. So you wanna know why you didn't win Tyson?"  
  
No reply.   
  
The brunette smirked. "You may not want to hear this, but I think you should to listen. For one thing, you weren't thinking fast enough. You let yourself get too cocky and when I finally decided to use Meteor Raid, it was like you weren't even trying to think of a way to counter it. You weren't focusing on the match enough Tyson. Don't let yourself get so distracted kid," he finished his short lecture.   
  
"Well you made me believe that my storm attack would help me, when you knew it would be to your advantage all along!" he shot back.   
  
"Your storm attack *was* supposed to be at your advantage, but you weren't thinking straight," he stated plainly. "You didn't use it the way you were supposed too."   
  
Tyson looked at Richi rather confused. How was Dragoon's storm attack going to help him? All it did was help Draikin to be airborne!   
  
Richi's eyes began scanning the room, soon stopping at the blue-haired teenager. 'I'm guessing that's Kai, the Bladebreaker team captain. Hm…' he pondered silently, as he observed the slate-haired boy. Soon enough, a small grin slowly appeared on his face as he noticed that small knowing glint in Kai's crimson eyes. 'I think he knows what I'm talking about,' he thought contentedly, 'but what did I expect? He *is* the captain, afterall.'  
  
"Anyway," Richi began again. "I should go. Don't wanna be late for my match. Good luck Tyson," he said genuinely, "and think about what I said," he added before exiting the door.   
  
Tyson stared after him rather heatedly. Clenching a fist, he soon opened his mouth. "That guy-"  
  
"Gave you some pretty good advice," Kai spoke up, finishing Tyson's sentence. "Your attack is the key to winning this, if you use it right."  
  
Tyson blinked. Maybe Kai had gone insane and wanted Dragoon to assist Draikin in beating him again? Well no, that wasn't it. Kai wouldn't do that, but at the moment, the only thing Tyson saw his storm attack being good for was helping his rival.   
  
"We're done!" declared Kenny, who held out Tyson's blade proudly.  
  
"It's got state of the art new parts," grinned Max. "So you go win this thing for all of us, okay?"   
  
Tyson grinned, as he took back his Dragoon. 'I'll figure out how to beat you Richi…you can count on it,' he thought to himself firmly. Pumping his fist, he gave his friends that familiar determined grin. "I will."   
  
  
  
The three girls had finally managed to clean up their hotel room. It was a very tricky task indeed, but they ultimately succeeded with the help of blaring music and sugar. Now, the girl with light red hair was fixing the buns in her hair, while the other red head was busy looking for her Avril Lavigne CD which might have been lost sometime during their clean up.   
  
"Jade, have you seen my CD?" she asked the girl securing her hair.   
  
"No," she replied. "Why don't you ask Casey? I think she's in the living room."  
  
"Thanks," replied the redhead, making her way out of the bedroom. "HEY CAAASSSEYYY!" she hollered in the hallway. "HAVE YOU SEEN MY AVRIL LAVIGNE CD?"  
  
Casey looked up in the direction the yell had come from and sighed as she got up from her rested position on the couch. Cleaning used to be so easy for her before. Now, she was just thankful whenever they somehow managed to put some order in their hotel room.   
  
"Yes," replied the turquoise-haired girl calmly, "and I put it in your bag."   
  
Her friend smiled and said a quick thank-you before heading back to the room to grab her duffel bag. Before she was able to step into the room though, Casey began to speak again. "Hey Alex! Tell Jade that Jet said that he's going to be a bit late," she half stuttered that sentence with all the J's.   
  
"Sure, no problem," she replied, but before Alex could reenter the bedroom, she looked back at her friend on the couch. She wanted to asked Casey something, but wasn't quite sure how to put it. Hesitantly, she finally began speaking in the most casual tone that she could possibly pull off. "Hey Case, I was wondering, do you know where Richi went? I haven't seen him all morning and it's not like him to just disappear."   
  
"Sounds like someone is worried," a teasing voice came from the washroom. Jade poked her head out of the bathroom, playfully waving around a soaked towel. She subsequently threw it at Alex, who unfortunately failed to dodge the flying wet thing, and of course, it conveniently landed right on her dark red hair. Jade blinked, staring at an irritated looking Alex.   
  
"Oops," she said grinning apologetically, if that's what you'd call it. "I was actually aiming for your face since you were looking a little tomato-like there, but hey! I guess things worked out fine since we all know what a hot-head you are."   
  
Now is it really a good idea to be telling a girl that's a hothead that she *is* a hothead? Especially when she is in possession of a wet towel? Not likely. In the next second, Alex was heatedly twirling the damp material into a whip. Before Jade could utter an "uh-oh" she had frantically slammed the door shut just in time to hear a loud SMACK against it.   
  
Casey watched the whole scene laughing in much amusement. It never ceased to amaze her at the bizarre acts the two redheads could pull off. Last time, Jade was on the verge of pulling out all of Alex's hair when she had put glue in her hair gel. Jade's buns were literally stuck on her head!   
  
Casey rolled her eyes, deciding that perhaps she might entertain herself with something a bit more normal. Grinning, she grabbed the remote and switched on the TV. Quickly surfing through the shows, she stopped on the BBA channel. Maybe she'd see something interesting since the Regional Tournament was taking place today.   
  
"What the…" she whispered to herself, noticing what was on TV. "Hey guys! I think you should come see this."  
  
"Can't you see I'm a bit preoccupied?" retorted Alex, who was now trying to pick-lock the door with a hair pin.   
  
"Richi's on TV. He's at the Regional Tournament," the teal-haired girl stated simply.   
  
Alex immediately stopped, turning to face Casey whose violet eyes were glued on the screen. 'No…she's kidding. What in God's name would he be doing there?' she asked herself silently.  
  
The redhead quit her current task and headed to the living room, surprisingly soon followed by Jade. In no time, the three girls were sitting in front of the set staring at the display wordlessly. They really didn't know what to say. It was definitely Richi; there was no doubt about it. He was battling another boy with a blue-red baseball cap and from what they could see, it looked like it was a pretty good battle too.   
  
'Why is he there?' Alex asked to herself in confusion. 'And why did he leave without telling us? This just doesn't make any sense...'   
  
  
  
  
Whoa! It looks like there's a lot more to this Richi fellow than you'd think. Who is he anyway? And how is he connected to those girls, Jet and the Bladebreakers? And what about the match between him and Tyson? Tune in next time for the next chapter of Star Horizons! 


	8. Finishing Sequence

Hey guys, sorry for the little delay, but at least this chappie is longer than usual ^^;; Thank you for all the support and this chappie goes out to Jade for giving me my very own mini-Tyson! I totally love him! And simply to everyone: a big, huge DOMO ARIGATOU GOUZIMAS ^^;; Enjoy the chappie; it was interesting for me to write, even though I don't quite understand some things I wrote... ok that's not a good sign *sweatdrops* Er... happy reading! ^^  
  
  
  
  
Star Horizons   
  
Chapter 8: Finishing Sequence  
  
"This is getting boring Tyson," Richi said with a yawn. "I know you can do better than that," he added, narrowing his chocolate eyes while casually folding his arms.  
  
Tyson growled inaudibly, shooting his opponent a heated glare. Despite what both Richi and Kai had said to him earlier about Dragoon's storm attack, there was still no way he was planning on using it. This time, he supposedly knew what Richi was tying to do and he definitely was not going to be caught in the same old trick twice. As far as his concern, the storm attack was still just something advantageous for Draikin.   
  
'He still hasn't figured it out yet,' the brunette thought to himself, sighing. 'I really want to help him, but I'm still a competitor and I can't just tell him straight out what to do…' Richi glanced at the white Beyblade and its complimentary blader with a concerned glint in his brown eyes. "Come on Tyson, you were the World Champion, just think," he finally said out loud, attempting some words of discreet encouragement.   
  
"Save your breath because I'm not even listening," stated Tyson in an unexpected tone of severity. "I know exactly what your trying to do. Pretending to be some kind of a nice guy and giving me 'tips', huh? Well I'm not buying it anymore! You're nothing but a mind-playing jerk," he finished harshly, but ultimately regretted his last remark a bit, as he caught sight of the slight twisted and hurt expression on Richi's usually soft facade.   
  
"Ouch, I think that one hit Richi right on the spot," commented Max from his seat, crinkling his nose with distaste. Sure, maybe it seemed that the brunette was manipulating Tyson a bit in the last round, but nevertheless, sometimes Tyson's mouth could get a little bit too carried away during the trash talk.   
  
"Richi doesn't look too happy down there," began Brad in his announcer-type voice. "It looks like Tyson's really getting to him."   
  
"Well I guess he better brace himself for some revenge," chirped in AJ. "After what went on during the last match, I'm sure Tyson wants to even the score: both in the Beyblading and the trash talk."   
  
His light-brown hair suspended freely, nearly touching his face. Those normally gentle dark eyes of his were now stiffly locked on the blades, seemingly hiding the earlier small stir of emotion. Not daring to look up at Tyson, Richi remained fixed on the battle as the two blades continuously bashed against each other like bumper cars in a theme park, neither one of them slowing down.   
  
He was still a bit upset about Tyson's sudden show of indignation, but he was a reasonable guy. He knew he probably deserved that remark anyway, even if it was a bit over the top. Strangely enough though, you must also realize that despite Tyson's comment, Richi's main concern was actually contrary to what everyone else thought. What was bothering him more was his growing dissatisfaction of unsuccessfully being of any aid to Tyson. His latest attempt seemed to just anger the sixteen-year-old even more and he never intended for that.  
  
'Did I expect him to still trust me after that little stunt I pulled in the first round?' he began wondering to himself. 'Well…I guess not. And under normal circumstances, I wouldn't trust me either, but like I told him, Tyson is a World-class blader. He should've figured things out by now! I mean, Kai has…' Pausing his musings briefly, he made some attempt to concentrate on the battle without much luck. Unfortunately, his mind was still busy juggling his own thoughts.   
  
'Man, this is just great! I came here to help so I could give a good first impression and what happens? I look like a mind-playing jerk! It's not like I purposely meant to trick him… Damnit! Where's some chicken when I need it?" he groaned inwardly, frustrated.   
  
Meanwhile in the stands, the other boys were watching the battle closely, specifically the young man with glasses.   
  
"Is it just me, or am I the only one who thinks that Richi isn't actually paying attention to the match?" Chief spoke up, scratching the back of his head. He just noticed that although it looked like the brunette was really into the battle, if you took a closer look you could see that his ostensibly intense gaze into the dish was actually a blind stare.   
  
The other boys gave Kenny a puzzled look, excluding Kai, and decided to see for themselves. Almost instantaneously, they quickly realized that Kenny's remark was quite accurate.  
  
"What is he doing then?" asked Ray.  
  
"He's just a bit frustrated," Kai stated simply. "Probably lost in some thoughts since he can't seem to get through to Tyson."   
  
The blonde blinked, giving the blue-haired teen a curious glance. "I still don't get why he wants to help Tyson so badly… he wants to win too, right? Plus we can't blame Tyson for not trusting him after-"  
  
"Tyson's defeat was not completely intentional," Kai cut him off. "You remember what he said earlier to Tyson? About his storm attack being the key? Well it's not a trick. The fact that Richi ended up using it to help himself was just a coincidence; Draikin would've gotten into the air either way. Reality is, this kid is trying to help."   
  
Then it was silent as their attention shifted back to the match, just in time to see Richi's blade boomerang back into the ring.   
  
'GAH! I wish he'd stop doing that!' Tyson yelled in his mind, watching Dragoon wobble a bit from the rebound. 'This is definitely not cool.'  
  
"Tyson!" Richi called out again, hoping that maybe he would listen to him. "I refuse to spell things out for you. You should know what to do by now!"  
  
"Huh? Did I just hear a voice?" the navy-haired boy looked around ponderingly. "Oh probably just my imagination."   
  
Richi could hear himself let out a low growl, surprising even himself. "I'm not kidding! Y'know you could at least *try* to understand how to correctly use your storm attack against me. Why do you have to be so hard-headed??"  
  
Tyson couldn't help but to smirk. He was definitely teaching this kid a lesson. Nobody messes with his mind and gets away with it. There was only one little thing that he still hadn't figured out though: how was he going to beat Richi anyway?   
  
"OH I GET IT!" Kenny jumped up from his seat triumphantly. "I know what Richi was trying to get at! I gotta go tell Tyson!" As he was about to burst into the stairway, a strong hand gripped his arm sternly. Kenny looked up to see Kai shaking his head. "But Kai, we're his friends. We've gotta help him."  
  
"He has to figure this out on his own," Kai firmly declared, receiving a soft sigh from the small brunette. "He's not gonna learn if we interfere."   
  
'I prefer the term "assist",' Kenny thought to himself, sitting down again. 'But Kai is right…I just hope that Tyson understands before it's too late.'  
  
"You're not giving me much choice but to beat you all over again," the brunette attempted to point out, trying not to sound too daunting. Taking a deep breath, he began again in a calmer tone. "I'm asking you as a fellow blader to think about your storm attack for just one minute. This match is not helping either one of us if it's one-sided."  
  
Tyson rolled his eyes, groaning at the same time. His mind was telling him that Richi was just trying to distract him again. "If I do, will you stop trying to mess with my head?"   
  
Richi almost protested to that last remark about "messing with his head", but decided against it. Looking at Tyson straight in the eye, he nodded. "You have my word."   
  
Tyson involuntarily grinned, hearing the authenticity in his voice. Examining his rival carefully, he came to see that Richi's expression, alongside his tone, had no trace of deceit. His opinion for his opponent seemed to take another 360-degree turn. "Hm…maybe he's not as bad as I think," he said quietly, realizing that perhaps he underrated Richi's character. "Well, only one way to find out. Okay, Dragoon's storm attack…Draikin's meteor raid…tornado…falling orbs of energy….wind….Draikin in the air…meteors…hurri-HEY WAIT A SECOND!" Tyson shouted out loud, quickly coming into realization. Finally dropping on him like a ton of bricks, he knew what he could do, and this time, it was no trick. "It's the phantom hurricane!" he shouted exultantly.   
  
"Phantom hurricane?" repeated his adversary,cocking an eyebrow. "Is it safe to say that that's the name of your stronger storm attack?"   
  
Tyson grinned, nodding his head smugly.  
  
"Finally you get it!" Richi exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief. "But remember," be added, getting a bit more serious, "I can't guarantee you'll win. Heh, I mean you have a better chance of beating me now, but basically, now it just comes down to who has more power. And I can promise you that I'm not planning on going easy on you anymore."  
  
"Just what I wanted to hear," smirked Tyson, pumping a fist. "So, you want a lift?" he suddenly asked politely.  
  
Richi almost laughed, but held it back and nodded instead. "Sure, why not." He felt reassured that he was finally able to get through the kid's thick skull. Plus now that that was over with, things would get much more interesting. Richi could finally let out the blader in him and he wasn't going to hold back.   
  
  
  
"Alex you should come watch this," suggested Casey loudly. "It looks like both of them are ready to actually get serious."  
  
"No thank you," came a faint, but firm voice from somewhere in the bedroom. "I'd rather not."  
  
Jade looked in the direction of where her darker-haired friend was situated and sighed. She knew Alex wasn't too happy at the present moment. "She's still a bit mad about him leaving without telling us," she whispered to Casey. "You know how she's like. We should just give her some space."   
  
The light-haired girl nodded, knowing exactly what Jade was referring to. Alex had, no doubt, a quick-temper and a bit of a guarded nature too. Patience wasn't exactly her finest virtue, if it could even be applied to her at all, that is, and she wasn't exactly the type to be discussing her problems openly either. Both Jade and Casey knew that it was best to let her be for now. If Alex really needed them, she'd eventually ask.   
  
Back in the bedroom, the redhead had occupied herself listening to Casey's Michelle Branch CD, and at the moment, the current song playing was "Everywhere". It was such a nice, upbeat song; it usually calmed her down when something was bothering her. It was unfortunate that this method wasn't as effective as it usually was, not for this particular vexation at least.   
  
'Y'know I shouldn't even care about this,' she began thinking to herself. 'Why does it matter to me that he left without saying anything? He can enter a tournament if he wants to. It's a free country, right? He doesn't have to tell us every single thing that he does. I mean everyone deserves some privacy!' Her reasoning almost brought her to that point of wanted composure, until another thought entered her mind. "But…it's only a tournament…what would be so private about that?" Sighing, she pulled a few strands of dark hair from her face and lay back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling aimlessly.  
  
This was definitely not fun. Every time she tried to come up with a rational explanation, the other part of her mind would think of something else to counter it. It was like she was trying to drive herself mad! Any onlookers who could see her now would probably think she was overreacting, but they don't know the whole story. Who would they be to judge her?   
  
You see, Richi and the rest of the girls were really tight, the bestest of best friends you could say. They tell each other practically everything, unless it was something extremely private. Thus, for Richi to not tell them about his competing in the tournament, something so practical and ordinary, indicated that there was some kind of unknown importance behind his actions.   
  
This is what was getting to Alex: the secrecy. Plus it was just so out of character for him to just take off like that! And the fact that he didn't mention it AT ALL made it even worse. She just had this sinking feeling in her stomach that whatever reason he had for leaving without a word was going to be an unpleasant one.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" suddenly exclaimed a voice of what sounded like Casey from the living room.  
  
Immediately catching her attention, Alex's head jerked up, looking inquiringly at the gaping door. Quickly switching into a sitting position on the bed, she began debating with herself whether she should go see what the fuss was all about.  
  
"GOOOOO RICHI!" squealed another voice, this time sounding more like Jade.   
  
Hesitantly, the redhead pulled off the headphones and eased herself off the mattress, heading for the open door. Poking her head into the hallway, she soon saw her two friends practically glued to the TV. Casey was literally on the edge of her seat, which made Alex wonder how she didn't fall off, while Jade had made herself a pillowed niche smack down on the floor in front of the set.   
  
Unwillingly, her curiosity finally got the best of her and she quietly began making her way through the hall. Before long, she silently stood leaning against the wall in the outskirts of the living room. Unblinkingly, she watched the actions taking place on the television in a disturbing sort of silence.   
  
"Planning to talk anytime soon?" Casey posed a question.  
  
Another few moments of reticence persisted before Alex finally spoke up. "What's there to say? Do you want me to start cheering or something?"   
  
Jade managed to tear her gaze from the display to see her friend's apathetic stance. Knowing Alex all too well, she carefully stood up and walked towards her.   
  
"Are you okay?" she asked, giving her a soft smile.  
  
Alex, who's eyes had still yet to divert from the TV, nodded. "Fine," she replied in a flat tone.   
  
Jade sighed, knowing that the red-head's response denoted that she still didn't want to talk about it yet. Putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, her attention soon fell upon the ongoing match again.   
  
  
  
"HAH! You are so going down Richi!" Tyson announced in a tone of complete confidence.   
  
His opponent shook his head with a cocky grin. "Don't expect me to just roll over and let you win Tyson," the brunette retorted freely. "DRAIKIN!! Let's move this up a notch!!" he hollered.   
  
The suspended gold Beyblade and corresponding meteors soon began pushing harder against the hurricane, gradually making its way through the turbulent barrier.   
  
'Ah Damnit,' Tyson thought to himself. "DRAGOON! Don't let him get through!"  
  
Tyson's Bit-Beast obeyed as the gale's energy level also increased, halting Draikin's progression. The two forces were equally matched and again, the battle was in a deadlock.   
  
"Whoa! How long are these boys going for? They've been at it for quite some time now!" exclaimed Brad.   
  
"I can't even tell B-man, but I know that the outcome of this match all depends on who has more power," added in AJ. "It's the battle of the elements!"   
  
The crowd was roaring with exhilaration, thoroughly enjoying the game. The match had definitely heated up after Tyson finally figured things out. He realized that all he had to do to counter Draikin's meteor raid was to simply increase the power of his storm attack; thus explaining the use of the phantom hurricane. Now, it was just a battle between the two powers. Either Draikin would be able to penetrate through the squall barricade, or Dragoon's storm would finally be able to blow him out of the dish.   
  
"Tyson, this is getting a bit old," said Richi, raising an eyebrow. "Mind if we just cut to the chase?" As if responding to his question, Draikin's golden vicinity slowly intensified, giving off an almost dangerous sort of aura.   
  
The nary-haired teen grinned at the alluring challenge and responded with a brisk nod. "Just what I was thinking," he smirked. "Since we've got that cleared up…Dragoon! Let's finish this off!" he suddenly directed with great avidity. His Bit-Beast's aura, like Richi's, also began to intensify as the surge of growing energy could soon be felt throughout the stadium.   
  
Kai's mahogany eyes glanced at a faint light emitting from his pocket. Swiftly pulling out Dranzer, he watched his blue Beyblade as it gave off that familiar red glow.   
  
'You feel that, huh Dranzer?' he silently asked his Bit-Beast, receiving the continuous illumination of crimson light in response.   
  
"Oh, is Dranzer reacting to the battle?" Kenny asked unexpectedly, noticing the radiation coming from Kai's blade.   
  
The slate-haired teen was a bit annoyed at the sudden interruption, but kept his vexation quiet and simply nodded.   
  
"Well duh Chief," that familiar female voice came from the young boy's laptop. "If you could actually fully feel all that energy those two are giving off right now, you'd be pretty stirred up too. This is definitely some serious business." Kenny cleared his lungs, understanding what Dizzi had said. His gaze quickly moved back to the battle, wondering who would overpower the other.   
  
In the dish, the two Bit-Beasts were in a constant struggle against each other. It was just like a game of tug of war, and neither of them was planning on loosening their hold on the rope anytime soon. Also in that childhood game, if one boy pulled harder, then his rival would simply tighten his grip and increase his pull as well. That is exactly what Dragoon and Draikin were doing. As the hurricane's energy increased, so did the push of the meteors and vice versa.   
  
Now, what happens when two people pull hard enough? A thin rope can easily snap and both contenders go hurdling backwards. Nobody actually wins. But in this case, if the 'rope' does snap, the rules change a little and whoever is left standing would be declared the victor.   
  
"Don't give up Dragoon!"   
  
"Keep going Draikin!"  
  
The two boys fervidly encouraged their Bit-Beasts to go on, pushing the battle to the max. Onlookers watched in awe, unsure of whom the victor would be. Both players were equally determined to win.   
  
All of the sudden, the rope snapped! The disputing energies finally went over their limit resulting in a large flare that could easily be misinterpreted as a super nova. The competing boys instinctively raised their arms to shield themselves, but still managed to hold their ground, while the audience, also quite shaken, immediately grabbed something or someone for some stability. That final blast clearly signified the end of the match. Everyone waited in anxiety for the veil to lift, wondering who was the last one standing.   
  
  
  
Man, what a wicked match! Things definitely heated up there...but I gotta know, who in the world won? Tune in next time for the next chapter of Star Horizons! 


	9. Unwanted Explanations

Many apologies for that huge gap in updating O.o Anyway, I'd like to hope that this chappie explains most things. Do me a favour and ask about anything you're confused about too, ok? So then I know what else I need to incorporate next time ^^ And I so have to send this out to Anime Fan for having a talent of reading and reviewing every single chapter less than a day XD Dude it took me like 2 weeks to read all of her fic! ~^ Anyway...enjoy the chapter and dude 99 reviews O.o WOW, LoL, thanks a million everyone!! *wonders who will be the 100th reviewer*  
  
  
  
  
Star Horizons   
  
Chapter 9: Unwanted Explanations  
  
Jet didn't bother waiting for the official declaration of the winner; he was pretty confident he knew who it was anyway. It was just one of those gut feelings, which for him, were almost always correct. And if his assumption for this event was accurate, which it probably was, then he was next to positive about what would happen next.   
  
Thus, he casually made his way out of the stands, while the echo of extreme animation still managed to follow him into the more vacant area. Along with the roaring of the crowds, a young man was also trailing along behind him in a less than ecstatic manner. His black hair lingered near his distinct dark scarlet eyes that were, at the present moment, gazing straight ahead, adding an eerie touch of an assassin-like character.  
  
Jet glanced back at the stern-looking teenager for a brief moment. Quickly directing his attention up ahead again, he smirked to himself. They say looks can be deceiving, but for this particular individual, it seemed that his appearance matched his personality right down to the last feature. He undeniably looked like a one hundred-percent anti-social arrogant prick, which from what Jet had read about him and from what he had been told by Mr. Dickenson, was quite true. However, there was also an air about him that entailed a curious sense of mystery, like there was something unknown and cryptic about whom he really was, maybe even dark.   
  
Jet's musings were soon dismissed as another roar came from the stands, this time hinting a touch of astonishment. Raising a dark eyebrow, he instinctively glimpsed back, his eyes inevitably also brushing over his young companion. The adolescent appeared oblivious to the dynamic yells as his almost hasty stroll persisted without a single trace of curiosity. On the other hand, it's not like Jet was actually dying of curiosity either. Sometimes you just can't help but to turn towards the direction of a sudden rise in volume, which in this case, Jet had intuitively done.   
  
'He did it again,' the silver haired man smirked to himself, shaking his head with a chuckle. Jet affirmed that Richi probably did to Tyson what he usually did to Alex one too many times. It was just a very odd habit of his, but on the other hand, Jet recalled Mr. Dickenson telling him about how one of his boys, Ray, had done the same thing before as well. Actually, it seemed that based on everything Mr. Dickenson had said, Richi and that Ray fellow had a lot in common. This knowledge provided Jet with some comfort; at least he knew that the brunette would have someone to relate to.   
  
'Well Rich, we're going to miss you,' he declared genuinely, subtly pausing in front of the exit. Looking back for a third time, he grinned. "But don't worry kid, we'll still be here for you if you ever need us.'   
  
Just as the sable-haired teen opened his mouth to ask why he had stopped, Jet had already turned around and reinitialized his pace, as if the brief halt had never even occurred. Shrugging, the younger man continued to follow suit, beginning to feel a small sense of inquisitiveness about the whole situation. It was a bit unusual, actually, since he was never exactly the inquiring type. Antithetically though, this whole state of affairs was completely new to him, and by human nature, he also wondered about the unknown.   
  
Jet unhurriedly led him outside and directed their course towards a small, modish sports car, evidently standing out in the midst of all the other plain vehicles. The sun's friendly waves playfully washed over the car's black coat, creating a glossy veil, like the luster that enveloped the slick snow.   
  
"Go inside," Jet ordered in a civil tone, casually unlocking the front passenger door.   
  
Surprisingly, the teenager wordlessly complied, sliding into the narrow seat. Jet glanced at him curiously, caught a bit off guard by this action. Heading for the driver's seat, he silently mused to himself.   
  
'I was told that he would be defiant and difficult to deal with,' he thought wonderingly, smoothly looping around the car, 'but he's been rather quiet so far. It's a bit odd; I doubt he's the shy type. Hm…well, on the other hand, nothing has exactly happened to displease him…not yet at least.'   
  
Smirking, he finally reached the opposite door and upon opening it, ducked into the jet-coloured vehicle. As he turned on the engine, it wasn't long before he was thinking about the teen's uncommon nature again. In reality, it wasn't that perplexing, but when you have a lot on your mind, the simplest things to realize didn't come so easily. Ultimately though, as he began driving along the road, he came to the conclusion that the boy's more true and rebellious colours would show when something didn't go his way, which would probably happen pretty soon.   
  
It actually almost seemed like Jet was looking forward to it, that he wanted to deal with someone who could easily be compared to Kai but with a bit of a larger attitude problem. Well, maybe this gentleman was looking forward to that. Besides, he enjoyed a good challenge and he also knew that an experience like this would be very advantageous for both his and the BBA's future. And even further, it would benefit the adolescents too, although he knew that they probably wouldn't initially see that.   
  
Jet's thoughts eventually quieted down, and he began concentrating on the road, trying to ignore the silence filling the atmosphere. It was an awkward silence, like the kind of silence between two acquaintances. Clearing his throat, he came to the decision that perhaps he should try to make some conversation. After all, it was essential that he break the ice now, since he knew that later things might get a bit crazy when they meet up with the rest of the gang.   
  
"So how long have you been blading for?" he asked, promptly realizing a second later what a lame question that was.   
  
The boy's dark eyes shifted towards Jet's direction, only to return to their original gaze in less than a moment. "Long time," he stated plainly.   
  
Silence fell upon them once more. Furrowing his brow, Jet re-attempted to speak again.   
  
"Oh, I see. Well how did you meet Mr. Dickenson then?" he asked, figuring that that subject would receive a longer response.   
  
"At a tournament," the boy, again, replied in the simplest terms.   
  
'One word difference…greeaat…' Arching an eyebrow, Jet let out a quiet sigh and redirected his attention to his driving. 'Okay, this might be a bit harder than I thought…'  
  
  
  
"Oh so Ray did the same thing when you two first battled?" questioned Richi.   
  
Tyson attempted to answer his inquiry, but was forced to decide against it, as his mouth was unable to verbalize anything due to the disturbing mixture of pop, chicken and pizza hindering his speaking ability. Rather, he bobbed his head up and down, trying to swallow the strange concoction. Unfortunately, he failed to do so and before you could say "chicken", Max and Kenny found themselves busy smacking Tyson's back, while the little newbie simply stared at the three stooges.   
  
'I think they might be weirder than Alex and Jade,' he thought to himself, a smile tempting to cross his lips. Although before he could make any official declarations, another voice cut into the atmosphere.   
  
"Don't mind them, they're always like that."   
  
The brunette turned around to see a raven-haired boy sitting on a bench against the wall, also observing the current situation with a small smirk.   
  
"Ray, right?" he asked, receiving a nod in return. "Heh, you guys must never get bored," he added impishly.   
  
"You can say that again," he responded with a laugh, "but what do you expect? With someone like Tyson around, how can we get bored?"   
  
Richi grinned at the response, nodding in agreement. Then, glancing back at the three other boys, he figured that perhaps Tyson was a bit too busy to expand on his earlier explanation about Ray and his first match. So, turning back to Ray, he asked, "Anyway, Tyson said you forfeited the match when he won the second battle?"  
  
The raven-haired boy nodded, grinning slightly as a flash of him and Tyson's first match appeared in his mind. "Yeah…well he beat me fair and square during round two. I didn't have anything else to felt I had to prove."   
  
"Finally someone who understands," Richi laughed, heading over to where Ray was seated. "I tend to do that a lot too during practice with my friends. Of course I'd never forfeit a really critical match, on the contrary. It's just that battling Tyson earlier was more like a practice run for me. So when he did win the second round, I just didn't have anything else I wanted to do."   
  
Ray's golden eyes narrowed curiously. "Then, why are you here anyway, if not to win the tournament?"   
  
The brunette blinked, caught off guard by the question. Putting a hand nervously behind his head, he grinned awkwardly. "Um…well…you see…I sort of…um…"  
  
Fortunately for Richi, his stuttering was cut short by the familiar booming voice of DJ Jazzman. "Everybody are you ready?!" he shouted excitedly, receiving massive hollers of approval. "The final match will begin shortly between the reigning champion Cyris and the returning phenomenon known as Tyson!!" Another round of cheering was heard from the audience; everybody was definitely hyped up.   
  
"Um…it looks like you guys better get going for Tyson's match," Richi said in the most casual tone he could pull off.   
  
Ray cocked an eyebrow at the brunette, affirming that there was definitely something this kid was not saying. 'Okay Richi, I guess I can wait to find out whatever you're hiding,' he thought to himself with a smirk.   
  
"I AM PUMPED!" a loud voice suddenly announced.   
  
The two teens on the bench looked over to where the declaration had come from to see Tyson, with tightened firsts, punching into the air excitedly. Kenny and Max were staring at him as they stood a fair distance away from his flying fists. Richi grinned, as it reminded him of this special on TV he once saw about people who saw things. Tyson's movements were just like the man who was trying to chase the "magic butterflies" away.   
  
"Uh…Tyson?" Kenny attempted to tap him, but was forced to duck as a fist came his way. "Why is he doing that??" he whispered to Max, quickly crawling away from overly hyper boy.   
  
"I think it was that mix of pop, chicken and pizza," Max nodded matter-of-factly.   
  
"And I think Tyson's going to miss his match if he doesn't stop waving his arms like an idiot," commented Kai bluntly, who had pretty much been leaning silently beside the door frame for most of the time.   
  
"WHAT?!" Well that got his attention. Tyson finally snapped out of his ritual of chasing magic butterflies, as he stomped towards Kai. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT?! I AM SO THE BEST!"   
  
"Are you now?" Kai raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Well then why are you still here? Prove it."  
  
"I WILL!" and with that, Tyson had dashed through the door and was running like a chicken with its head cut off towards the battle area.   
  
The boys who were onlookers began laughing as Tyson left, while Kai had a simple smirk on his face. "Come on, let's go," the blue-haired teen finally ordered lightly, stepping out of the room.   
  
  
  
"I'm going for a walk," Alex declared, heading for the door. "I need to do some thinking."   
  
"Thinking? About what?" questioned Casey, immediately mentally smacking herself for asking such a pointless question. Alex rolled her eyes, disregarding the remark and continued towards the door.  
  
"Do you want me to come with you?" Jade offered.   
  
"No," the darker redhead quickly responded in an almost harsh tone. "Sorry, I..." she began again more calmly, "…I just wanna be by myself, but thank you." She gave her two friends a brief nod as she promptly exited the room.   
  
With her jade eyes trailing the floor, she quietly made her way through the hall towards the elevators. It seemed that her confusion had faded out a bit and now she just felt more upset, to say the least. Alex let out soft sight, finally reaching the metal doors. Pressing the little button, it wasn't long before her mind began to wander.  
  
'I wish this didn't bug me so much,' she thought to herself as she waited. 'I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all this, but I just wish this stupid feeling in my stomach would just go away. Man…Richi, why did you take off like that?'  
  
As if on cue, the silver doors opened, and Alex soon found herself face to face with a teenage boy. She blinked and simply looked at him, a bit taken back by the sudden encounter. And to add to that, his intense gaze seem to pierce right through her, adding an awkward dramatic effect. His eyes were a dark, rich shade of red, almost black and she couldn't help but to be reminded of blood as she stared into them.  
  
"Alex?" a voice suddenly broke the spell.   
  
The redhead roughly shook her head, breaking the trance. She looked back into the elevator and was surprised to realize that there was someone else inside. A man. A man in a black suit with unmistakable silver hair. "J-Jet?" she tried not to stutter.   
  
He arched an eyebrow, trying not to laugh at the astonished look she was wearing. "Hey kid. Getting too impatient that you decided to go looking for me?" he grinned at her teasingly.   
  
"Um…I…err…I guess…" she stammered, while her eyes, despite herself, shifted back and forth between the two individuals.   
  
Jet chuckled, noticing that Alex wasn't the only one who was looking rather uncomfortable. The young man was also showing signs of disturbance and confusion. 'Hm…why do I have the feeling I'm going to regret wanting to see his attitude?' he asked himself, stepping out of the elevator. "Okay then, I'm sure both of you are wondering what the hell is going on here. So Alex, if you'd kindly lead us to where the rest of them are, I will gladly explain."  
  
The girl reluctantly tore her gaze away from the boy and slowly began sauntering towards her initial location, glancing back every so often at the haughty-looking teen. It was mere moments before she soon found herself silently standing in front of the door, the knob in her hand. Wordlessly, she opened it, immediately catching Jade and Casey's attention as she stepped in.   
  
"That was fast," commented Case, head tilted. "What did you do? Step outside and come back in again? Because if all you wanted was some air, we could have just opened a win-JET???" she exclaimed mid-sentence, noticing their sponsor standing behind her. "Hi! I forgot you were coming over…we were…"  
  
"Occupied," Jade finished her sentence, pointing at the TV. "Did you know that Richi was competing in the Regionals?"  
  
Jet slowly nodded.   
  
"Do you know why?" Alex piped in, arms crossed. "And on another subject, who in God's name is that?" she added bluntly.  
  
"Who's what?" questioned Jade.   
  
"Him."  
  
"Him?"  
  
"Him."  
  
"Where is 'him'??" exclaimed Jade, getting a bit frustrated.   
  
"Behind him."  
  
"Him is behind him?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.   
  
"Yes," replied the other redhead, who was beginning to get amused.   
  
"…You're not making any sense."   
  
Casey stifled a giggle, tapping Jade on the shoulder. "I think she's teasing you."   
  
"I agree."   
  
Alex's grin widened as she shook head with delight. "I'm not teasing you. Well maybe a bit, I suppose. But him really is behind him."  
  
"WILL YOU STOP IT WITH THE HIM BUSNESS?!" Jade commanded exasperatedly.  
  
"O-KAY GIRLS, that's enough," Jet broke the 'him' debate. "You might scare away out our new member."  
  
"New member?" they all echoed at once.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Jet stepped into the room and away from the doorframe, revealing a young man in a black trench with an irritated scowl on his face. "Please do not tell me that this is the team I am supposed to be on," he muttered resentfully.   
  
"You mean he's our new member?!" exclaimed Jade. "Where did you find him?? In a gang from New York or was it a juvi-hall??"   
  
This was rather odd indeed. The girls knew that they needed a fifth member for the upcoming World Tournament because of the new rules, but they didn't expect somebody with "that" kind of profile.   
  
"No, he's not from a gang or a juvi-hall…and yes, he is the new member…sort of…" Jet replied hesitantly.   
  
"What do you mean 'sort of'?" questioned Casey.   
  
"Well you know how I've been talking to Mr. Dickenson lately?" he began casually.   
  
The three girls nodded. They were fully aware of Jet and Mr. Dickenson's meetings. After all, Jet was his nephew AND the future chairman of the BBA. That's actually one of the biggest reasons why they were here in the first place.   
  
You see around a month ago, the older man had given Jet the task of putting together his own Beyblade team for the upcoming World Tournament. Sort of like a way of training him for his future position when Mr. D retired. Anyway, that's where Richi, Alex, Jade, and Casey came into the picture. Not to bore you with details, but basically, they became Jet's team.   
  
What about the Bladebreakers, you ask? Well they were Mr. Dickenson's team, not Jet's, and his uncle wanted him to learn and grow with a different group, just as he did with his boys. Besides, Mr. D was planning to reunite the Bladebreakers so they could enter the world tournament as well. There was one little catch though that wasn't exactly anticipated.   
  
Not too long ago, the BBA had announced the need for five members on a team due to rules and battle purposes. Of course, Mr. Dickenson scouted for a fifth member for the Bladebreakers and soon stumbled upon a young man named Ryo. He had a bit of an attitude problem, to say the least, but he was still a very fine blader, much worthy of being on a high-class team. Originally, he was going to be the fifth member of the Breakers…but then…  
  
"Well Mr. Dickenson proposed we make a trade," stated the gentleman.  
  
Alex's eyes grew, as her gaze once again darted back and forth between the two males. She quickly realized what Jet was getting at and prayed that maybe she was wrong. "Are you saying that…You mean you…" she began, breathing deeply. "…TRADED RICHI FOR HIM?!" she all but shrieked.   
  
"It's not as bad as you think kid," Jet tried to clam her down. "I was unsure at first too, but trust me, it's going to work out. Even Richi is okay with it."   
  
The redhead's furious eyes suddenly seem to calm down as she looked at him impassively. "Richi? He was totally okay with this?"  
  
"Oh crap…I know what Alex is doooooing…" Jade whispered to Casey, who nodded discontentedly in return.   
  
"Yes he was," replied Jet.  
  
"So basically…he was okay with leaving us? With ditching us? With running off to a bigger and badder team? AM I RIGHT?" she demanded venomously.   
  
"Alex…I don't think Richi did-"  
  
"STOP DEFENDING HIM CASE!!" she cut her off heatedly. "Besides, why should we care? He's not on the team anymore."  
  
"Alex…" Jade began softly, but couldn't find the right words to say.   
  
"Forget it, I really don't care," she stated, losing emotion in her voice again. "I'm going for a walk. For real this time." Without letting them say anything else to her, she quickly paced towards the door, but failed to leave without pausing in front of their new team captain first. She looked at him up and down before meeting his gaze, which didn't look any happier than her's. "Hn. Well then, welcome to the team Ryo," she greeted him flatly, before brusquely pushing past him and out of the room.   
  
  
  
  
Dude! Alex didn't take the news too well and it doesn't look like Ryo's too pleased about his new team either! How is Jet going to manage to smooth things out? Tune in next time for the next chapter of Star Horizons! 


	10. Arising Enmity

Hey everyone! I'm almost next to positive that only half of you are still interested in this... LoL, so to all of you are still reading, thank you and I'm so very sorry for the delay. I hope this chappie makes up for it. Since it's been about a month, I figured that I normally would have submitted two chapters, which is why this thing **_is_** the length of two chaps XD 5 627 words baby!! On average I write 2 365 MUAHAHAHA ~^ On a side note...I can't believe I'm on chapter 10!! ^^ Okay, sorry, I'm babbling =P Happy reading!

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Star Horizons

Chapter 10: Arising Enmity

"Oh crap!" Tyson swore vehemently as his Beyblade was suddenly catapulted into the air. "Hang in there Dragoon!" he fervently yelled. _'Man, for someone without a Bit Beast, he's pretty damn powerful,' _he mentally added, tightening a fist. 

The third round had barely commenced and already Cyris seemed to have the advantage over his adversary. In truth though, it was a slight twist of fate since initially, Tyson looked as if he had the upper hand. The navy-haired boy had won the first round quite easily, and although he lost the second set, it was an extremely close battle. Now however, the tables had turned and the outcome wasn't looking too promising for the returning world champion. 

Like many other bladers, Cyris liked to play predator and prey. During the first round, he simply monitored Tyson's moves: gazing, analyzing, and planning. He knew that observation was an excellent preliminary step to victory. Thus, he wasn't too concerned about winning or losing the first round. 

During the second battle though, Cyris was well aware that had to win. Although despite that, he was still holding back. He had simply put in just enough effort to advance the match. During that time, he just didn't want to fully bear his claws. Up until now at least. 

"You're done," smirked Cyris, his forest eyes sparkling with a cocky glint of success. 

His optional prerequisite was definitely paying off. Everything was going just the way he wanted it to. He knew exactly how to counter everything Tyson had thrown at him. It was perfect. On top of that, his evading skills left Tyson rather frustrated, which ended up decreasing his vigilance. Of course, Cyris wouldn't let a weak spot go unnoticed. What blader would? That probably explains why Dragoon was now weightlessly falling back to the dish. 

__

'This match is as good as over, Tyson,' he grinned to himself. _'Even if you do manage to land back into the battlefield, I'm gonna make you wish that you hadn't.'_

"And it looks like Cyris's blade is powering up! Tyson better watch out!" announced Brad Best. 

"That is _if_ Tyson's blade can manage to stay in the ring," AJ rang in, emphasizing the 'if'.

"Well AJ, we've already seen this kid battle three years ago and I'm sure that we all remember how he can pull off the most impossible stunts. Just think back to when we first met him at age twelve. He literally blew us all away!"

"You can say that again Double B! Even at a young age, his Beyblading abilities were sky-high. And as far as we've seen of him today, he seems to still be kicking! But the question is: is it going to be enough to beat the undefeated Cyris?"

The blonde jerked his head discontentedly at that last remark. _'Of course he can,' _Max thought to himself, furrowing his brow_. 'This is Tyson we're talking about. He's no ordinary blader.'_

Almost immediately after that thought, his blue eyes quickly attained a stronger spark of vivacity, much like fire. The light-haired teen then literally bounced from his sitting position and leaned over the rails, beginning to cheer like there was no tomorrow. 

"C'mon Tyson! You can do it!" he exclaimed along with various other words of support and scattered hoots. 

Tyson's navy eyes darted to the right for a brief moment and upon seeing the sight of his friends, he could all but grin. Sure, he wasn't exactly doing too hot in the match, but at least his buds were behind him. Okay, maybe they were probably more than ten metres away from him and the only possible way to hear them was if they used major diaphragm power, but that wasn't the point. All that mattered was that they were there. For Tyson, it was just a comfort to know that they actually showed up, that they didn't just forget about him. In a way, it almost seemed like they were a team again. _Almost_. 

Just as Tyson was about to take a quick stroll through memory lane, his moment of gratitude was cut short by the sound of Cyris's swaggering voice.

"You can daydream all you want Tyson, but that's not gonna do you much good," he heard him say. 

Tyson blinked. Shaking his head, he quickly looked down at the dish, finding a not too-very-good picture. _'Oh shit.' _Cyris's blade was dangerously increasing its speed around the metal bowl, hungrily, as if waiting to devour Dragoon. 

__

'Aw man! Can Dragoon even manage to land inside the dish? But then…what am I supposed to do if he does? If he lands out, I'm disqualified, and if he manages to land in, Cyris'll pounce on him as soon as he hits the ground! Daaammnnnniiittt!!' Tyson inwardly groaned from the frustration of what seemed to be a lose/lose situation_. 'Dude, this sucks. I'm supposed to be a World Champion, and Cyris is making me look like an amateur! What do I-'_

"TYSON!" Max yelled out as loud as he possibly could, interrupting his thoughts. "You can win this! Don't forget, you and Dragoon make an unbeatable team!" 

"Yah Tyson!" Richi chimed in, just as loudly. "You guys are the real deal! You and Dragoon go together just like me and chicken- I mean me a Draikin!" he quickly corrected himself, grinning sheepishly. 

Tyson raised an eyebrow, cocking his head._ 'You know…they're right,' _he thought to himself with a slight smirk._ 'Dragoon and I do make an unbeatable team. As long as I believe in him, in us, then I know we can pull through.'_

As if on cue, Dragoon landed roughly on the edge of the punch bowl, barely keeping his balance. _'Well at least he's not out of the dish,' _he thought to himself. Although Tyson was feeling more confident now, there was still that one little concern haunting his mind: Cyris attacking before his blade could get off the rim. Sure, walking across a log is easy, but on a windyday, there'd be a pretty good chance you'd end up falling into the river. 

__

'Come on Dragoon, get off the rim…' he pleaded, watching his Beyblade trying to stabilize. Tyson secretly prayed that Cyris wouldn't attack, that he'd let Dragoon have some time, even just a few seconds, to wander safely across the log, away from the thrashing waters. He was hoping, almost begging, but at the same time, he also knew he was probably kidding himself. Perhaps Tyson wasn't exactly the smartest fish in the barrel, but he wasn't that naïve. Ever since the beginning of the last round, Cyris showed no mercy. Why would he change now? 

Funny thing is, people aren't constant. Sometimes they just might surprise you, just like Cyris did. Although the brunette hated letting vulnerable openings go untouched, he hated winning without a resistance as well. There was just no honour in that. For a second, there was a little inner conflict about whether he should attack or not. Compromising, he finally decided to give Tyson a few, _just a few_, seconds to regain himself. If he wasn't ready by then, then that was just too bad. 

Tyson noticed this unexpected break and, thankfully, waited for his blade to quickly get off the frame. Although much to his surprise, Dragoon made no advancements to dismount from the rim. 

"Sorry Tyson, I hate winning like this but I can't wait any longer. It's time to take you out," his rival smirked, a patronizing air literally showering his voice and face. 

Tyson took a deep breath as he boldly met Cyris's concentrated gaze. Subtly, he brought his attention back to the battlefield where Dragoon was loitering beside the river. _'Why are you still on the edge Dragoon?' _he whispered, a cold drop of sweat trickling down his left cheek._ 'Why haven't you spun into the bowl yet? What are you doing? We're not gonna be able to-' _his musings abruptly stopped._ 'TYSON, STOP IT,' _he firmly scolded himself. Almost growling at the thoughts of doubt floating in his mind again, he forcefully pushed the negativity out of his head. 

__

'Okay,' he began silently._ 'I don't know what your planning Dragoon, but I trust you. I know we'll win this.'_ Pumping a fist, he slowly inhaled and met his opponent's gaze one more time. "Bring it on Cyris! In Chris's words, YOU ARE GOING DOWN!" 

"Oh is that so?" the haughty teen shot back, laughing lightly. "In that case, I guess the fact that your blade is _still_ on the border wouldn't make a difference, right?" Tyson didn't flinch, but Cyris could still see that his remark had faintly hit a chord. How convenient. "Well, let's find out then, shall we?" he smirked before suddenly giving the command to attack. 

"And it looks like Cyris is gonna finish this match with one quick hit!" proclaimed Brad.

AJ added, "Hopefully Tyson still has some tricks left in that hat of his!"

All eyes were now on Cyris's Beyblade as it came zooming towards Dragoon. The two competitors stared, completely absorbed, as their blades finally met with a resonant clash, the aftermath of which was an intense vibration that shook the entire stadium. It seemed that a trend was picking up, as many of the previous battles had the same effect. Without delay, a thin screen of sparks surrounded the punchbowl as the audience waited for Tyson's blade to come flying out of the foggy collision.

"I don't know about you AJ, but I think the fat lady just sung! Who needs kung-fu movies when you can see and feel the action live?"

"I'm sure even everybody at home felt that clash too Brad. And I bet Dragoon felt it the hardest."

"That's right B-man! And speaking of Tyson's blade, where is it anyway?"

It seemed that the whole crowd was wondering the exact question. The white Beyblade was nowhere in sight. Maybe Cyris's blade propelled it into the air again? Some people looked up, expecting the metal top to rain back down, sort of like during the final match between Tyson and Kai a few years ago. Surprisingly though, there was absolutely nothing there. Nothing but air, at least. All everyone could do was watch. Watch and wait, that is, for the bowl to clear up. 

"Come on kids, this is a good match. Can't we just relax and enjoy it?" questioned Jet, almost like a plea. 

Silence. 

"Can I take that silence as a way of telling me that all of you are so interested in the match that you don't want to be interrupted?" he probed on hopefully. 

More silence. 

Jet sighed, slumping his shoulders. This didn't seem to be working. On the other hand, nothing had seemed to be working after Little Miss Hot-Head blew up and left. 

Following Alex's great stalk out of the room, all Jet could do was talk to the remaining teens. He reaffirmed that yes, Ryo was the new team captain and yes, Richi was now on, or at least was going to be, on the Bladebreakers team. Being teenagers, he expected that they would start arguing with him, but for once, they didn't. They simply gave him brief nods, or some other signs of acknowledgment, and that was it. The next little while held nothing but a fixation on the television. 

Jet almost wished that they _had _started yelling at him. There was just something eerie about the silence, especially when you were in a room with teenage _bladers_ watching a _Beyblade _match. Silence just didn't fit. 

_'I think they're mad at me…' _he thought to himself unhappily. _'Well maybe not exactly mad, but they're not really jumping for joy either. Maybe I should say something…but I don't know what to say…'_

And still the silence continued, the three adolescents helping it to linger on. It's not that they were helping it on purpose though. Much like Jet, they were simply speechless. If they were to talk, what would they say? 

"Thanks for replacing Richi and making Alex go absolutely haywire"? 

Or "Thanks for putting me in charge of a team of girls"? 

Or how about "Thanks for giving us a insolent prick as a captain"? 

Not exactly the most pleasant of comments, to say the least. As the saying goes, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." 

"Hey look! Tyson's still in the game!" Jet finally spoke up again, tilting his head to the screen. "Wow this is pretty cool, but…kinda weird too. How in the world does his Dragoon manage to stay on the tip of the dish _while_ Cyris's blade is ramming into him like that?" 

Although there were no replies, a certain turquoise-haired girl was contemplating an explanation for that very question, primarily because it gave her mind something else to think about. _'Hm…I guess it's hard to tell, but I think Dragoon is concentrating his tornado attack on the area facing away from the dish. My guess is that he's using it as a cushion, or in other words, like a spring, to keep himself from being pushed off the ledge,' _Casey mentally answered._ 'Heh, and it looks like it's getting Cyris pretty riled up too. Not a bad plan.'_

Of course, thinking strategically was practically this girl's speciality. She was always figuring out people's tactics and either working on ways to counter them, or finding out how to use them to her advantage. That was just Casey for you, the analytical thinker. But unfortunately, this talent of her's wasn't much help when it came to situations that couldn't be broken down, looked at, and analyzed. An excellent example would be like the state of affairs she was in now. 

What was she supposed to do? What was all of them supposed to do? Alex was off probably creating the apocalypse, Jade was resisting the urge to just bolt out of the room to find her, Ryo was obviously peeved about the team he was placed on, and Casey was caught in her own battle, as she fought against the temptation to smack their new captain for his impertinence. She was almost positive that Ryo's disappointmenthad a lot to do with the fact that they were girls and that _really_ got to her. Pricks? She could deal with. But **s_exist_** pricks? Now that was a whole other story. 

Seeing how now Tyson's blade finally decided to spin back into the bowl, Casey's lavender eyes wandered to the kitchen where Ryo has typically isolated himself. With all the commotion earlier, she hadn't really gotten a chance to take a good look at him. No, she wasn't blissfully gawking at him. Are you crazy? She just needed to get used to seeing him as their team captain. 

Ryo was in a classic loner stance. His mass rested against the counter, arms crossed with crimson eyes locked on the TV. Since Jet had talked him into putting his coat away so he'd supposedly feel more "comfortable", all he was left with was a fitting sleeveless top that had the same deep shade of his eyes. 

The dark-haired boy heaved a sigh, taking notice to how the girl with light aqua hair was eyeing him closely. 

__

'What is she staring at?' he wondered to himself. He could practically feel her eyes examining every part of him, as if making sure he wasn't some crazed lunatic hiding a bomb somewhere. Where would he hide a bomb anyway? With what he was wearing now, there would be no room for one. 

Quickly, he brushed off the unnerving sense that had slowly crept near him as a result of her gazing. Regaining poise, he almost laughed at the thought of feeling self-conscious. There was just absolutely no reason for him to feel that way. After all, he's always been treated like something from the unknown depths of Africa. 

Everyone he ever came across had always seemed to be examining and judging him as if there was an evaluation sheet right in front of him or her. It used to really get to him when he was younger, but due to the fact that he didn't have much say in the matter, he eventually got used to it. He even made a little joke about it. 

Ryo liked to refer to it as "the ass method". All those people would always **a**ssess him while they **s**at and **s**tared. Hence, the name "the ass method". Of course, that name also came in handy for the countless individuals who really were ass's, but that was just a bonus. 

"Whoa! I can't believe this, but it looks like Cyris could be trapped!" AJ suddenly announced on the screen. 

"If he doesn't do something fast, Tyson's gonna blow him right out of the dish!" exclaimed Brad. 

Ryo watched the display carefully and rolled his eyes._ 'I hate to say this, but they might be right,' _he admitted to himself reluctantly._ 'Cyris was so rapt up with trying to shove Dragoon off the edge that he actually left his defences down. Bad move. Guess he was caught off guard when that storm suddenly appeared. Hn. Now his blade is stuck in the eye of it all, just waiting for the inevitable. What a foolish mistake. And to lose to someone like Tyson too. Pitiful.' _

Just as his mind was getting ready to name all the other dozens of flaws in the match, a girl's voice unexpectedly broke through. 

"Okay then. Ryo," began Jade, unable to stand the lack of conversation any longer, "I guess we got off on the wrong foot. So let me be the first to actually give you a genuine welcome," she grinned lightly, walking over to the kitchen. 

Despite the fact that she was worried about Alex and pretty upset that Richi wasn't on their team anymore, she just couldn't hold a grudge against the dark-haired teen. Besides, it's not like he forced Richi to leave so he could become captain. In fact, she was well aware that he didn't seem too pleased about his new status, but it was still worth a try to be nice to him. After all, they were kind of stuck with each other. 

As Richi used to say, "When life gives you unbearably spicy chicken, grab a bucket of ice and chow down!" Strange saying, but that was just Richi for you. You can't deny that he has a crazy obsession for chicken, but that's just one of the things that make him so totally loveable. 

"Well Ryo?" the redhead spoke up again, now standing across from him. 

He stared at her, realizing that she had extended her hand. _'What the hell, I might as well get used to this,' _he finally decided. Taking her hand, he nodded. "Thanks, I guess," he replied simply. 

Jade's grin widened. _'Okay, at least this is a start,'_ she thought with some relief. _'I don't think the ice is totally broken, but at least it's cracked a bit.' _

The metal-haired man on the couch found a small grin cross his lips. _'Thank you!' _he thought gratefully._ 'Maybe this isn't totally hopeless after all. At least Jade's handling this all right. And Casey seems okay too. This might actually-'_

"I'd like to say something too," the light-haired girl halted Jet's thoughts, standing up as well. "First off, welcome to our team. I'm sure that you are well capable of handling this position. Jet wouldn't have pick you if he didn't think you could," she stated firmly, glancing at their manager. Slowly striding towards the kitchen, she folded her arms. "Second, as the new captain, I understand that you will have authority over this team, which I am required to abide by. All I ask is that you treat us as equals. Do I have your consent on that?"

Ryo cocked an eyebrow, meeting her fixed gaze._ 'Hm. I don't think she's too fond of me,' _he declared to himself.

After encountering so many people before, he could easily judge whether a person liked him or not based on their voice. There was always something he noticed, regardless of how small it was or how much they tried to conceal it. Jade, for example, was quite sincere with her greeting. Casey, on the other hand, appeared to have a hint of annoyance when she talked to him, despite how she tried to hide it with her formal tone and diction. 

Ryo shrugged. It didn't really bother him anyway. First off, not many people did like him. And second, two could play at this game. 

"I will regard all of you to the extent that I feel is necessary," he replied impassively. 

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she questioned, keeping their gaze locked. 

"It means exactly what it sounds like," he slowly spoke. "You're a girl, aren't you? I'm sure you can figure it out. Although if you desperately need me to rephrase that, I'll be happy to do so."

Casey forced a smile, as she shook her head. "No, thank you. I understand completely," she responded, keeping control over her articulation. 

"Good for you then," he smirked, purposely adding touch of insolence in his drawl. 

Jet sighed, realizing that he spoke too soon. He looked up at Jade who was now slowly creeping away from the two teens. Not that he blamed her though. He definitely wouldn't want to be caught in the crossfire either if things – and they probably will- heat up.

'This is just great. I guess I shouldn't have expected it to be so easy,' he sighed, leaning back against the cushion._ 'And then there's still Alex,' _he added with a groan_. 'Now why did I agree to this again? Oh yeah, I remember. I like challenges and this'll give me more experience. Plus it's supposed to help the kids. Now, I think I'll just keep repeating those reasons…'_

"Why do you continue to stare at me? It's very impolite," he heard Casey say. 

"And of course you would know that," Ryo shot back. "Earlier. You remember, don't you?"

Jet let out another long breath of air, adverting his gaze from the scene in the kitchen. _'Oh boy…this is going to take a while…'_

And just like that, the battle was over. Cyris did all he could, but the squall was just too strong. Although he always knew that Tyson could give the command for a storm attack at any time, he had assumed that he'd be able to handle it if it ever came to that. After all, he did know how to evade Tyson's earlier moves. Besides, it was just wind, right? Wrong. To put it simply, Cyris underestimated Tyson and the power of his Dragoon. And for that, he paid the price.

"I can't believe it's over…" Cyris sighed quietly in defeat. Looking back, he could clearly see the errors he made and was practically kicking himself for being so careless.

"And the winner is Tyson!" declared DJ Jazzman. 

"It looks like Tyson's return to Beyblading is going to be a memorable one," proclaimed Brad. 

"Everybody better watch out because this kid is back and ready to soar!" AJ added in. 

The crowd applauded excitedly, as Tyson waved to all of them in triumph. "WOO HOO! I won! Thank you! Thank you! I love you all!" he started a series of hoots and corresponding gestures of victory. All the attention was definitely feeding his ego and he had no problem with flaunting his win. After all, what person _didn't_ like to be cheered for? 

After what seemed like hours, Tyson finally took a break. During his pause, he looked down at the blade that rested in the palm of his hand. "Thanks Dragoon, I knew we could still do it," he whispered. 

"Tyson."

"Huh?" he looked up, meeting Cyris's dark green eyes.

"It was a good match. I guess I should have listened to everyone who warned me about you. You're as good as they said you were. Even better," he complemented. 

Tyson blinked, putting a hand behind his head. "Well you're not so bad yourself," he grinned. "I thought you were totally gonna cream me for a while back there. Put it there man!"

Cyris reached out and shook his opponent's hand. "The next time our paths cross, I'll be ready."

"So will I," he nodded. 

The brunette shook his head accordingly and began to head off. Turning back one more time, he waved humbly before completely disappearing into the competitor's hall. Tyson could all but stare after him. 

__

'He is one wicked Beyblader,' he grinned.

Before Tyson could reinitiate his waving and hooting to his adoring fans, he felt something suddenly bounce off his head. 

"Wha?" he asked aloud to no one in particular. He glanced at the floor instinctively and immediately caught sight of something shiny a small distance away. Walking just a few steps, he leaned down to pick up the unknown matter. "Tin foil?" he questioned, puzzled, as he examined the rough silver material. 

"I'll take it that you didn't hear me yell 'heads up', did you?" 

Tyson looked away from the article in his hand to find a grinning Richi holding another wrap of tinfoil, while the rest of his friends stood behind him. 

"You did it man! Congratulations!" grinned the brunette, smacking Tyson on the back. "And I thought you deserved a little prize too," he added, waving around the silver envelope. 

"Really?? They're _both_ for me??" he exclaimed with stars in his eyes. 

"Well actually-"

"Thanks Richi!" Tyson cut him off, swiping the second packet from the boy's unsuspecting hand. "You are so the best!" he beamed, hastily unravelling his latest gift.

"No but-"

"Mmmm… Thith ith tho good!" he quickly announced, after swiftly popping one of the wings into his mouth. "Riffi! I canf beweev how nithe yu awr! Fanc yu tho muf!" 

The chocolate-haired boy almost had tears his eyes, as he watched Tyson devour one of his last precious pieces of chicken. Of course, being the nice guy that he was, he couldn't bring himself to tell Tyson that one of those drums was supposed to be his. Besides, it wouldn't have done much good since the second piece was already in his mouth now. 

"Eheheh…you're…" Richi paused, trying to keep his voice from breaking. " …You're welcome," he finally managed to choke out, as he pinched his arm at the same time, hoping that it would provide some distraction from the sight before him. _'Breathe Rich,' _he tried to calm himself down_. 'Don't worry…you can always go back and buy some more…hey wait a sec! That's not a bad idea.' _

The cheerful blonde scratched his cheek as he watched his friend wolf down the meat. "Tyson! Take it easy or you're gonna choke on the bone!" he laughed, rolling his eyes. 

"If we're lucky, it'll get caught in his windpipe and we won't be able to hear that loud mouth of his anymore," teased Kai. 

Tyson, of course, let his temper get the best of him as he began yelling at the blue-haired boy. "Well sorry to disappoint you Kai, but my mouth is just as open as anything and it's not gonna be closing anytime soon!" he hollered, mouth totally gaping, while much of the chicken had not completely been swallowed. 

Kai flinched as he glanced at the small morsels that had happily flown from Tyson's mouth and found a new home on his white scarf. "Tyson," he murmured, shooting him a death glare, "weren't you taught to chew with your mouth _closed_?" 

"Of course I was!" he replied loudly with a cheeky grin. 

A few more bits flew at Kai, making the slate-haired teenager grunt in annoyance. "If you continue this, I am going to hit you, Tyson," he stated matter-of-factly, eyes narrowing. 

"Continue _what_?" Tyson shot back, sending more bits Kai's way. 

In a blink of an eye, the auburn-eyed teen was magically standing behind Tyson with an impish grin. Before the unprepared boy could protest, there was a loud _thwap _as Kai smacked him behind head. Not hard though! Okay, maybe it _was_ hard, but not as hard as he could have hit him.

Tyson yelped, rubbing the back of his head. "OW! Why did you do that for?" he whined, who, lucky for him, had finally finished chewing all the meat.

"I warned you, didn't I?" scoffed Kai, shaking his head. 

The younger adolescent let out a dramatic groan. "Yah but I thought you were kidding! Why couldn't you just do what you always did?" Kai stared at him, along with the others, oblivious to what he was referring to. "Oh you remember! You'd be like," he paused, getting into "Kai" mode. "Hn. Bunch of babies," he mimicked his former team captain perfectly and stalked off, before running back to the group a second later. "Y'know! That!" he exclaimed, waving his arms. 

The others stared at the navy-haired boy for a brief moment before they burst into hysterics. Despite how much he and Kai contrasted, Tyson could still pull off a pretty damn good impression of him. 

"You have a death wish, don't you?" Kai glared at the goofy teen. 

"Aw, come on Kai," laughed Max. "Be a sport. Besides, I hear that hitting someone's head makes them lose brain cells."

"Well then there's not much to worry about," he smirked, earning him a glower from Tyson. 

"Are they always like that?" whispered Chris, watching the two boys continue to bicker. 

"I'd be worried if they _weren't _like that," Kenny replied. "But I guess fighting is sort of what makes them good friends."

_'Fighting = goods friends,' _Richi mentally repeated as an equation._ 'Heh, I guess that is true,' _he smiled, thinking about a certain girl with dark red head who ran around like a volcano about to erupt. 

Despite the fact that Alex and him did argue quite often, usually about trivial things, they were still very close, even when it didn't always seem that way. He honestly did care about her. _Really_ cared about her. So much, that if you pinned him against a wall and forced him to choose between Alex and chicken, he'd choose Alex without any hesitation. For Richi, that's saying a lot. 

"Oh yah!" Richi suddenly yelped, smacking his forehead. "I forgot! I'm gonna go buy more chicken. You guys wanna get something to eat too?" 

"OOOH! More chicken!" Tyson jumped up excitedly. 

Richi sweatdropped, regretting having said it out loud. "Um…well actually…I was hoping that…err…"

The brunette quit his stuttering as the younger boy with glasses put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'll buy Tyson his own bucket," he reassured him, grinning. 

Richi let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," he smiled gratefully. He didn't mind sharing, in fact, he loved to share. But he also knew that Tyson would probably eat at least half, if not all, of the chicken, which wasn't a thought that appealed to him much. 

The group of boys, who were actually still in the centre of the arena, began heading to the competitor's hallway and then to the food stands. Kenny bought himself a nice salad and the bucket of chicken he had promised for Tyson, Chris and Ray both decided on two juicy deluxe hamburgers, while Kai, who initially said he was not hungry, ended up having a piece of chicken that Richi insisted that he should try. 

__

'This is the life,' Richi smiled to himself, glancing at his new friends while eating the delicious meat._ 'I can't think of anything that could go wrong.' _

"Enjoying lunch, are we?" a derisive voice suddenly asked from the right. Richi froze. 

__

'Oh my God. Please do not let that be who I think it is…' he hoped in vain, knowing that voice all too well. Slowly, he tore his attention away from his food and indeed, he was right. 

A girl with black track pants stood before him, dark red hair cascading over the shoulders of her midnight blue top. Some of her white undershirt showed below her neck, which corresponded to the white stripes on her pants. Black sunglasses calmly rested on her head, opposite to the livid glint in her deep forest eyes as she stared at him. 

"H-hi," Richi managed to sputter out, pushing himself out of his chair. 

"Hello Richi," she replied flatly, eyeing him carefully as he hesitantly walked up to her. 

"So…um…how did you get here?" he asked, realizing that the other boys were now watching the two of them. 

"You'd be surprised at the lengths one would go through when one has certain motivations," she shot back, folding her arms over her stomach.

"I bet," he said quietly. "So…um…is there…err…something you…want?" he attempted to inquire, knowing that her answer wouldn't result in anything pleasant. 

"We need to talk," she stated straightforwardly, "about a lot of things," she added, the seething spark in her eyes becoming more obvious. 

"T-talk?" Richi echoed. He knew just as well as any other guy that when girls wanted to "talk", it never meant anything good. 

"Yes. Talk," she emphasized the second word, saying it like it was a deathtrap. 

Richi offered a meek nod before suddenly taking a great interest in his shoes. Alex wanting to "talk" was equivalent to Alex wanting to make hell on earth for the person she wanted to talk to. A fact like that wasn't too comforting for poor Richi, but he wasn't about ready to just run away either. 

He finally looked up to meet her heated gaze again. "Fine," he agreed slowly. "Let's talk." 

Whoa! How is this "talk" going to turn out? Is Jet going to be able to manage his team? And will Tyson eat Richi's chicken while he's occupied? Tune in next time for the next chapter of Star Horizons! 


	11. The Fate of the Chicken and Oranges

Hey guys! Time for another update! Thank you again, for all your support, it means a lot to me ^^ I know this chapter isn't as long as the last one, but it really did have fun writing it and I hope you guys enjoy it ^^;; By the way, _italics_ are like used to indicate flashbacks, okay? Anyway, happy reading and happy belated April Fool's!

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Star Horizons

Chapter 11: The Fate of the Chicken and Oranges

Ray sat at a small booth in the hotel café as he absent-mindedly stirred his hot tea. Nothing like a good cup of tea to help absorb the happenings in just half an hour. He had no idea that it was even _possible_ for so much to happen in just thirty minutes, but nevertheless, they did. All that he and the rest of the gang could do now was move forward. Easier said than done. 

The dark-haired teen let his gaze wander to the adjacent lobby. While staring through the clear glass, he soon found himself releasing a quiet sigh as his golden eyes landed on that familiar motionless figure, also known as Richi. 

Ever since the group had arrived at the hotel, the light-haired brunette had sat himself beside the fountain in the foyer and appeared to have declared it as his new home. Not that you could blame him though. How many people would actually be bouncing around happily after a soap-opera style talk anyway? Sure, watching soaps could be pretty interesting and funny at times, but when it actually becomes a scene in your life, then it's suddenly not so amusing. 

__

'Poor guy,' thought Ray, silently watching his new teammate. He couldn't help but emphasize with him. As everyone should know, Ray had also experienced the whole "traitor" issue. He knew exactly how much it killed to have your closest friends hold such ill feelings towards you, and he also recognized that unforgiving glare that the redheaded girl wore, that famous glare that could pierce right through your whole body. 

Alex, if he remembered her name correctly, was definitely upset, and she made no attempt in hiding it either. On the other hand though, Ray could also see that there was one thing that she _was_ desperately trying to hide: her pain. Behind that thick cloud of rage in her dark jade eyes was a girl who seemed just as torn up as Richi was. Things weren't always as one-sided as they appeared, after all. 

Ray finally managed to tear his gaze away from the dispirited brunette and reinitiated the constant stirring of the sweet-smelling brew. Before he was tempted to look back up at Richi again, he quickly occupied his mind with thoughts about the preceding declaration. 

Even now, he still couldn't believe it. They were actually the Bladebreakers again! It was completely certified earlier at the stadium. Of course, excluding Tyson, they all already knew about it, but to actually hear it publicly announced by Mr. Dickenson in the arena with all those people around, it was just plain surreal. 

Tyson's reaction was exactly as expected. He ended up repeating history as he did a victory dance around the stadium, **while** waving around that famous drumstick they had dubbed as the "holiest of foods". Of course though, it wasn't all just fun and games for the sixteen-year old. Definitely not. He actually got pretty mad when Richi ended up stealing the drumstick and shoving it in his mouth. But…well that wasn't much of a surprise either. 

From a bystander point of view, you would have never guessed what happened earlier to Richi by the way he was acting. The official Bladebreaker news had appeared to give him a grand sugar high, and he was almost bouncing around just as much as Tyson was. He was totally hyped up! Or so it seemed. 

Now we all remember how much the loveable chicken boy likes to keep up appearances, right? Just like during his battle with Tyson. He had to act rather cocky and sort of rude, even though all he really wanted to do was actually be super nice, which, on a side note, he later succeeded in without giving himself away. Well, he pulled off yet another marvelous act. 

Richi wasn't exactly faking happiness, he really was happy to be part of the Bladebreaker team. It's just the way he acted was perhaps a little bit _too_ joyous. That extra cheer seemed to be like a way for him to hide how the other part of him was feeling: hurt. 

"Oh crap," swore Ray in a whisper, realizing that he was thinking about the scene between Richi and Alex again. He couldn't really help himself though. It was just so clear in his mind and he honestly couldn't shake it. It was sort of like a song on loop…playing over and over and over…

__

"Jerk!" screamed the redhead, slapping him on the cheek at the same time. "How could you do this to us?! We've been there for you ever since we were kids and now you just ditch us?! What kind of a friend are you?!" 

Richi winced at both the slap and words. So much for talking. Rubbing his cheek, he tried to speak to her softly. "Listen to me Alex, I didn't really have a choice in this. Jet asked me to do this and-"

"WHAT?! And put a gun to your head and forced you?! Is that it?!" she cut him off heatedly. "Believe what you want but you **did **have a choice. I thought you were better than that Richi. I really did, but I guess I was wrong." 

"Aly, if you just-"

"D-don't call me that…" she flinched at the sound of his nickname for her. For a brief second, he could have sworn that he heard something else besides anger in her voice, but before he could dwell on it, she began to speak again. "Don't talk me as if you were my friend or something. I thought you were, but obviously you're not. A friend doesn't leave his buds just because he wants a better chance in winning a stupid tournament. How shallow can you be? I can't believe that you'd go just for-" 

"That's not the reason why I left!" he unexpectedly interrupted rather loudly. The redhead blinked uncharacteristically, caught off guard but his sudden change of tone. Quickly regaining herself, she crossed her arms and gave him a scrutinizing glare. 

"Oh really?" she asked sarcastically.

Richi promptly glanced down at his shoes, surprised by his own reaction. He didn't mean to yell. I mean, she really did have every right to be mad at him, but couldn't she also see that he wasn't exactly sunshine either? Sighing, the brunette ultimately managed to look back up at her.

"Just…let me explain," he finally said gently, looking at her with pleading brown eyes. "Please…" 

Alex was silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond. She hated it when he did that. Especially when she was supposed to be mad at him. She was just so tempted into giving into those irresistible puppy-dog eyes and that soothing voice of his. But before she lost her nerve, she quickly scoffed and looked away from him. 

"Fine. Enlighten me," she said impassively, thankful that her tone still managed to sound somewhat annoyed. 'Damnit Richi…why can't you just yell at me instead of being like that?' she thought, stubbornly fighting back flooding emotions. 'Why are you looking at me like this? Talking to me like this? Why can't you just **let** me stay mad?? It's so much easier that way…' 

Discreetly, she tried to catch a glimpse of him without him noticing, but fate was obviously against her. Upon changing the direction of her gaze, she once again met those delicious chocolate orbs of his. Before she ended up revealing her growing inner turmoil, she jerked her head away from him a second time, making sure to "hmph" to add effect. 

Richi sighed, wishing that she would just look at him. 'She probably hates me…' he quietly concluded to himself. 'But…I just can't-no, I **won't** give up…she's too important to me to lose like this…'

He looked back down at his shoe, as if staring at them would help him come up with just the right words to say. She was finally giving him a decent chance to talk and he didn't want to blow it. 

"I can leave if you need time with your shoes," Alex spoke up impatiently. "I'm sure you probably want to consult in them, right?" 

"Hey!" Richi shot back defensively. "I only talked to my shoes that one time when we were eight, and I only did that because all of you told me that shoes were alive!" 

"And you believed us," she laughed lightly, despite herself. 

Alex subconsciously tried to sneak another glance at him, and this time succeeded without his notice. In the act of her theft, she almost wished that she hadn't gotten away with it. It was even more difficult to see him looking so innocent…awkwardly looking down at his shoes again…smiling that warm smile of his…

'Damnit…he's doing it to me again…' she realized helplessly. 'That's it. I need to get away from him. Now,' she decided firmly. 

"So…err…Alex… I, uh, guess we should-"

"I have to go," the teenage girl stated abruptly. 

"W-what?" blinked Richi, unsure of where that had come from. 

"Now. I have to go. Good-bye," she said simply, quickly brushing past him. 

By impulse, Richi grabbed her arm before she could actually get anywhere. "I…I thought you said you'd hear me out…" he said in an almost a whisper. 

She reluctantly looked back at him, meeting his soft gaze a third time. 'Curse you…why can't you just stop…?' she begged in her mind. She thrice looked away and re-masked her voice before speaking. 

"I changed my mind. I just want to leave, and I'd appreciate if you'd let go of my arm," she said more coldly than she intended. 

"…Fine," he quietly replied, loosening his grip. "Bye then." 

Alex felt the grasp completely diminish and without saying another word, began walking off. 'Don't you dare say anything else Rich…please just let me-'

"A-Alex, wait!" 

'Damnit.' She instinctively paused, but refused to turn around. "What?" she called back, trying to maintain her irritated tone.

There was a moment of silence. And finally…

"I…I'm…I'm sorry," he spoke softly.

Alex instantly bit her tongue in order to keep her mouth from betraying her. She knew that if he said anything else to her, she would have broken down right then and there. Luckily, fate seemed to have changed her mind and decided to save Alex using the voice of an angel. Well, not exactly an "angel" but the voice did manage to save her nonetheless.

"Would Tyson, Max, Kai, Ray, Kenny and Richi please come down to the center stadium," announced DJ Jazzman.

Immediately taking full advantage of this opportunity, Alex quickened her pace towards the exit, disallowing her a chance to turn back. 

It's funny how great minds think alike. Or at least the minds of people who have been through similar situations. Just like Ray, Richi also had that scene repeating in his mind. The only difference would be that the song playing in his head was a hundred times more vivid since he was actually part of it. 

Richi could still feel Alex's slap, see her expression, and hear her words. No matter what he did, they just wouldn't stop! It was like his conscious was trying to torture him to death. Of course, that little voice in his head had a lot of help from a certain redhead…a redhead who had a tendency to blow up on people and act totally unreasonable. 

'Why can't she just be sensible? Or to at least stop and think?' Richi thought, slightly exasperated. 'She's known me for almost all her life and she should know by now that I would never want to hurt them purposely…' 

Of course, Alex being Alex much preferred to lose her temper instead of thinking about those things. It's just her nature. A testing nature, but not everyone is sunshine and lollipops, right? 

It's kind of funny because despite her personality, Richi never gets mad at her. Of course, at times Alex did drive him crazy, he was only human after all, but nevertheless, he could never actually get _really_ mad at her. Even now, he wasn't mad. 

It's like another one of his sayings, "Why get mad at chicken for burning your mouth because it's so spicy? That's just the way it's made." Just like chicken, some people are made spicy. So, every time you feel an urge to bust, just pop another ice cube in your mouth and cool down. 

An ice cube…that's exactly what Richi needed right now. Normally, he'd turn to his trusty poultry for advice, but due to his current condition, he decided not to since he knew he'd probably end up consulting the delectable meat for hours without end. Thus, without an ice cube or chicken wing, all Richi could do was sit and think. What a wonderful predicament he was in. Now where were those damn lifelines when you needed them anyway? Life was just so unfair. 

The brunette finally decided to avert his gaze from the fountain to the entrance doors. He soon blinked upon his discovery. Snow. It was _snowing_ outside. Very lightly, and the new thin layer would probably melt the next day, but it was still snow. Slowly, but surely, a little smile began forming on his soft lips as he watched the light fluff gently fall from the sky. It all looked so peaceful and innocent, and not to mention absolutely gorgeous. How could he _not_ smile? 

__

'I think…I'm gonna go outside for a bit,' Richi declared to himself, finally giving into the angelic temptation. 

He gradually began to rise, for he realized that if he rose too quickly, he'd probably topple over since his feet were partially asleep. Eventually managing to securely stand on two feet, he gingerly made his way to the door. Stopping in front of the entrance, he slowly pushed the gate open and was immediately greeted by a cool breeze. 

'Ah…' he sighed contently, allowing the winter air to play with the light strands of his brown hair. Then, stepping out of his momentary daze, he paced towards the sidewalk, away from the sheltered building. Making sure that he wasn't just going to stand in the middle of the pavement, he sauntered towards a lamppost and simply leaned against it. 

Soon enough, tiny white snowflakes were resting on his hair, each one possessing its own unique pattern, but all being made of ice. Richi held out his hand as he watched the little crystals gently descend on his open palm, melting upon contact. He grinned, watching the ice droplets transform into miniature beads of water. 

Richi's gaze subsequently wandered to a long row of icicles on a building across the street. They were of various lengths, but they all held one thing in common: a rigid and cold appearance. Well, all except one. 

It was rather strange because right in the middle of this army of ice was a single entity that seemed to be glazed with a light coat of water. It was actually melting, just like the crystals that landed on his hand. But…how could that be? There was no sign of a heat source. 

Richi continued to observe the melting ice, contemplating an explanation. He watched, and thought, and looked again and finally…sighed. 

"It a heater vent," a female voice suddenly chirped.

The brunette blinked in surprise before turning towards the direction the comment had come from. Chestnuts soon met with a light blue sky as he stared at a girl who was apparently standing behind him. 

"W-what are you talking about?" he stuttered, by force of habit. 

"You were looking at that melting Popsicle crystal, weren't you?" she asked, pointing to the icicle. 

__

'Popsicle crystal?' Richi's mind echoed. _'That's an interesting way to put in…' _Raising an eyebrow, he nodded."Um…yeah I was."

"Well look at the building beside it," she gestured helpfully. 

Curiously, Richi did as he was told. Sure enough, there was a heat ventilator on the adjacent building, situated right across from the newly proclaimed Popsicle crystal. 

"Pretty cool, huh?" the girl laughed lightly. "I guess sometimes you just have to look harder to find what you're looking for. It's the same thing with people, don't you think?" 

"What do you mean?" he asked, turning back to face her. 

"Hmm…well let's see if I can say this right…" she began thoughtfully, putting a hand on her chin. "Well, the icicle is like people who are overall just difficult to deal with. You know like pricks, hotheads, anti-socials, you name it! The heat that comes out of the air duct is like the kindness others show these difficult people. Think about it this way, even though you didn't really see the heat coming out of the vent, it was still melting the ice, right?" 

Richi bobbed his head. 

The girl grinned before continuing. "So, even though you can't always tell, the compassion we show others actually _does _have an affect on them. You just have to look hard enough. Personally, I think that the 'heat' drives the Popsicle people even crazier because they usually don't know what's changing them," she added with a wink. 

__

'Holy chicken…this is kind of strange, it's almost like she knows what's been happening to me,' Richi thought to himself. 

With a glint of amusement in her sky eyes, the girl suddenly grabbed Richi's arm and dragged him back to the front of the hotel doors, beneath the mini-roof. 

"Ah! Much better," she announced, brushing off the light layer of snow that collected on her orange hood and jacket. She turned to Richi who was looking at her as if she was a chicken adorned with flowers. "What? You really think I was just gonna let you stand out here in the snow _without_ a jacket?"

The brunette looked down and seemed to realize for the first time that he was actually in short-sleeved top. "Oh…I didn't even notice that…I was sort of-"

"Distracted?" she finished his sentence. "Probably thinking about a girl, huh?" 

__

'Okay, now this is **officially **freaky,' he inwardly proclaimed, eyes widening. 

Stifling laughter, she looked down at the sidewalk before meeting his _my-chicken-just-got-up-and-started-walking-before-I-could-eat-it_ look. _'You haven't changed a single bit,'_ she thought to herself happily, holding in another giggle. _'And I can't believe you don't remember me either! Heh, well that's okay. I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough anyway.'_

"H-how did you know that?" he questioned. 

"It's written all over your face," she stated matter-of-factly. "It's so obvious! Anyone can tell."

"They can?!" he exclaimed, surprised at the thought of being read so easily. 

She couldn't help but smirk. "I'm kidding! Well, sort of," she added in a bantering tone. 

"Sort of?" he probed on, raising an eyebrow. 

The orange-hooded girl nodded. "I mean to me, it is pretty obvious, but on the other hand, I am bias since I got a little help from someone." 

"Help? From who?" 

"Your friend inside," she replied, pointing at the hotel. "The one in the café. I was just talking to him a few minutes ago." 

The chocolate haired teen immediately put on a confused mask. She sighed, figuring that he was probably oblivious to anyone else's existence when he was beside the fountain. 

"You were really into that water back then, huh?" she teased, earning her the _Richi confused look times two_. She rolled her eyes, casually folding her arms. "Nevermind. Anyway, I'm talking about that guy with black hair! You know, he kind of looks like a kitty with fangs." 

"You mean a tiger." 

"I prefer **kitty** with fangs." 

"Err…okay…if you say so…"

"Oh it doesn't matter," she said dismissively, "but you know who I'm talking about, right?"

Richi nodded. Of course he did. How many people in the hotel could be described as "a kitty with fangs"?

"Well yeah, I was talking to him a bit earlier," she began to explain. 

__

The tropical-hooded sixteen-year-old quietly entered the hotel café, dragging a large duffel bag behind her. Upon entrance, she immediately headed for the counter and ordered a hot chocolate with extra whip cream. Sighing, she jadedly plopped her weight against the closest thing near her, the counter itself. 

'Ah! Finally, I'm here,' she thought to herself as she waited for her drink. Being as curious as she was, she began scanning her surroundings for something interesting only to find that there was practically nobody around. And if there were people around, they were either hiding **really **well or being **really** quiet. 

"Here's your hot chocolate," smiled the lady at the counter, holding out the beverage. 

'Wow, that was fast,' she commented mentally. "Thank you."

The teenage girl smiled gratefully at the woman before pulling out her wallet from her jacket pocket. By chance, as she attempted to count the money, she was blessed with the opportunity to measure the decibels of coins when they fall from a one-meter distance. Just her luck. 

"Gah! I'm sorry," she instantly apologized, kneeling down to the floor. "I'll just be a second," she added, awkwardly scrambling to collect the wandering currency. 'Oi, I've gotta thank mom later for passing down her ditz genes to me,' she thought playfully, picking up the money. 'Thank God no one's here though. I probably look so-'

"Are you okay?" a male voice suddenly asked. 

She froze. 'Oh Lord. Please tell me that was my imagination,' she prayed in vain. 

"Err…hello?" the guy repeated. 

She groaned in defeat, picking up the last coin. "Yah, I'm fine," she sighed, standing up. "But I do think fate likes to pick on me," she added with a laugh. Even if she did have a small habit of getting into slightly embarrassing situations, she always managed to laugh them off. 

"Um, miss? Your hot chocolate…?" 

"Oh! Sorry, here you go," she said, quickly paying the patient woman and picking up her drink. "So," she began, turning to Ray, "care to keep me company?" 

Ray cocked an eyebrow. Where did that question come from? First she was all embarrassed and now it was as if nothing had happened. He sighed. Girls. They were all definitely skitzo. 

"Actually, I kind of need to take care of something," Ray answered truthfully, glancing at the idle brunette by the fountain. 

"Oh come on," she pressed on. "You don't have to be so uptight." 

"Me? Uptight?"

"Your arms are crossed," she explained, tilting her head. "It gives you… sort of like an unapproachable air." 

The Chinese boy laughed. No wonder Kai seemed to be stuck that way, especially when Tyson was around. "Oh really?"

She nodded. "Yep! You should try to loosen up a bit. It'll help you to pick up girls easier," she advised helpfully.

"What?!" he exclaimed. What a ridiculous comment! He could pick up girls with the drop of a pin! In fact, everywhere he had traveled, the opposite sex was stalking him. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Hey don't get me wrong!" she shot back defensively. "I'm not saying that you're not like a babe magnet or something. In fact, you're pretty hot, especially with the fangs and all. A lot of girls probably do come up to you. All I'm trying to say is that it might help your game even **more**_ if you didn't look so...well, intimidating." _

Ray rolled his eyes. This was just so absurd. "Well that's your opinion." 

"Are you mad at me?" she laughed. "It was just a comment, and a **helpful** comment, if I do say so myself."

"Whatever," he mumbled. 'Damn, I think I'm beginning to sound like Kai,' he realized. 

The girl sighed. "Look, I didn't mean to offend you, but do you want all the girls that come up to you to all be on a sugar high?" she asked, earning her a curious look from Ray. "I mean, like I said, you're kind of intimidating and unapproachable. Most girls would need some major guts to be able to come up to you. And if they don't have the guts, there's always sugar or caffeine to help them. Of course, caffeine and sugar aren't scientifically proven to make people hyper, but hey, it still seems to work for some reason." 

Ray stared at her. It all seemed to make so much sense now. All those girls acted as if they were on a sugar high because…well, they probably **were **on a sugar high!

"You get it now, right?" she poked him. "If you just loosen up a bit, I'm sure some nice girl will come up to you and the next thing you know, you'll be in her pants." 

"W-W-WHAT?!" he immediately burst out, practically jumping a foot away from her. 

"Kidding!" she laughed at his reaction. "Well then, kitty, I should be on my way. It was nice meeting you. Oh and by the way, why was your friend by the fountain sulking?"

"How did you-"

"I'm not blind. I saw you glance at him when I asked you to sit with me." 

"And why should I tell you?" 

"Girl problem?"

Silence. 

"Thought so, but thanks for verifying. I probably would of looked like such a ditz if I tried to talk to him and I wasn't right," she grinned, heading to the café exit. "By the way, I will give you credit for one thing about you that is loose, your jeans," she laughed, pushing open the door. "Nice boxers," she winked, quickly departing. 

Ray blazed as she left. Damn those girls in Spain who insisted that he should wear baggy pants! 

"You said that to Ray?!" exclaimed Richi, about ready to burst into laughter. 

"Ray?" she repeated. "Is that kitty's name?" 

The brunette nodded. "Yah."

"Oh," she replied softly. "Well I still think that-OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!" she suddenly shrieked, making Richi jump in surprise. She glanced at the building and slapped her head. "HOLY MOLY!! GAH!! They are so gonna kill me!" she wailed, roughly picking up the duffel bag beside her feet. "How could I be so stupid? Gah, I've gotta go Richi. I just realized something, sorry," she said quickly, abruptly taking off in some random direction. "Hopefully I'll see you again soon!" she yelled back before increasing her speed ten folds. 

Richi blinked. Now that had to be one of the strangest things that had ever happened to him. As sudden as the orange-hooded girl appeared, she was gone. Who was she anyway? Then, another thing clicked in his mind. Did he even tell her his name? 

Dude! Who is this new girl and how does she know who Richi is? And what about Ray? Will he learn how to loosen up something more that just his jeans? Tune in next time for the next chapter of Star Horizons! 


	12. Not So New Girl

Hey guys! Can you believe it? I'm updating and it's only been a week! LoL ^^;; Anyway, hope you don't mind that this chapter is again shorter than the last one. Although I hope that my fast update makes up for it! Well, I guess it's not _that_ fast, but compared to how I've been updating recently, this is fast ^^;; Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter, it was so fun to write! And just in case your wondering, there's gonna be more with the Bladebreakers next chappie^^ I just needed to clear a few things up, LoL ^^;; 

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Star Horizons

Chapter 12: Not So New Girl

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'Baka baka baka baka!! Ugh!! I can't believe I did that!!' the girl in orange inwardly wailed, continuing to run down the sidewalk._ 'The hotel address was 38 Maine Street, **not** 83 Maine Street! I am so gonna get nagged about this!' _she continued to fuss. 

Sharply turning a curve, she nearly slipped on some black ice had she not grabbed onto something, or rather, _someone_.

"You mind watching where you're going?" a deep voice snapped. "And if you'd release me, that would be great too," he added sarcastically. 

"Whoa, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," she laughed, letting go of the disgruntled teen in black. "By the way, thank you so much for walking by when you did. I probably would've fallen flat on my back!" 

Ryo rolled his dark scarlet eyes. Oh how those perky bouncy girls got on his nerves. _Almost_ as much as opinionated minxes. Actually, correction, almost as much as _an_ opinionated minx. One with turquoise hair in pigtails, to be exact. That girl didn't seem to have a lid on that mouth of her's, especially around him.

"Right, whatever," he shrugged, dismissing her as he continued on his way. Although much to his dismay, the playful teenager tagged onto his side. "Is there something you want?" he asked, irritated, as he kept his pace. 

"Where are you going?" she asked, looking at him up and down as if trying to verify something. 

"Why should I tell you?" he shot back, ignoring her examination.

She couldn't help but laugh at his remark. "You know that's the second time I've heard that today," she pointed out, following him closely. "So if you're not gonna tell me, you mind if I guess?" 

Ryo remained unspoken. 

"Okay then! I'll take that as a yes! Hey that rhymed!" she commented happily. "Y'know, _yes_ and _guess_, just in case you missed that," she winked

Her companion cringed. Of course he knew what she was referring to, but it's not like he rejoiced over it. He inwardly groaned. How did he get into this? A girl who was amused by words that rhymed was actually walking beside him. Ryo _almost_ wished that he was back with the minx. 

"Are you heading back home?" she questioned, interrupting his thoughts. 

He sighed. "No."

"Going out for something to eat?"

"No." 

"Um…" she began to ponder, "heading to the movie theatre? Although that would be weird since you'd be going by yourself and most of the time when people go to the movies they go with friends because that's usually the way things-hey wait! Maybe you're meeting them there and then that could actually-"

"No, I'm not," he interjected her endless chatter. "And why are you following me? Don't you have anything better to do?" he asked the go-lucky teen. The girl simply grinned and shook her head. 

He rolled his eyes and wondered if she took him for a fool because if she did, she was in for a surprise because he could read her like a book. 

If he wasn't mistaken, she was probably trying to use her cheerful nature to break his pompous attitude. Nice try, but she wasn't dealing with any typical prick. She was dealing with Ryo, a prick that could not only notice the smallest things based on the way people talk, but could see pass the appearances as well. It's too bad he never considered that perhaps she could do the same thing too.

"Alright, I'll make a deal with you," she began in a teasing voice. "I'll guess one more time and if I get it right, then I get to come with you, okay?" 

The boy cocked a dark eyebrow. "And if you get it wrong?"

"Well duh, I'll leave you alone," she answered matter-of-factly. 

The raven-haired teen narrowed his alluring crimson eyes on her. Would she actually keep her word? After a moment of assessing, he figured that she probably would. She didn't seem the type to lie. Besides, it's not like she'd actually know the answer. 

"Fine then," he consented. "Guess." 

"Okay then…let me see…" she grinned mischievously. "Umm…I am guessing that you are going to meet some people. Am I right so far?" 

He stayed silent. 

She smirked, continuing. "You are meeting them because they're like a group you belong to… a team maybe? How are my guesses so far?" 

Still no comments.

"And finally, a location," she went on with much amusement. "Umm…a hotel? Hmm…let me pick a random address at the top of my head…38 Maine Street?" 

And finally, he spoke. "How the hell do you know all this?" he asked brusquely, stopping to face her. 

"That's a nice way to ask," she replied, pausing as well. "You're not a people person, are you?" 

"Gee, I wonder what gave that away," he countered sardonically, picking up his pace again. 

She held in a laugh. Pricks really were fun to deal with if you could play your cards right. Of course, it took her a lot of practice and a lot of pathetic failures to learn how to deal with them, but it all worked out in the end anyway. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," she apologized, walking by his side again. "I just can't resist a challenge with people like you." 

He scoffed, annoyance written all over his face. Before he could retort though, he soon found, much to his horror, that the girl had intertwined her arm around his. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he instinctively exclaimed, prying her off. 

The girl looked back at him with sad light blue eyes, pouting at the same time. 

He groaned. "Do you have no pride?" 

"Of course I do!" she answered. "And just for the record, I wasn't coming on to you either, if that's what you think. You know, it _is_ kind of snowing, if you haven't noticed big shot. And snow equals cold. Besides, haven't you ever learned that people emit body heat?"

"Yes I have," he stated flatly, "but I am perfectly fine." 

"Fine! Be that way!" she huffed, crossing her arms. 

You'd think that she'd give up by now, wouldn't you? Apparently though, she had other things in mind. Before even a minute had passed, she began to speak again. 

"Hm…I've got an idea. How about we play another little guessing game and if I get it right, you let me link arms with you and if I get it wrong, I'll keep my distance, okay?"

Ryo scowled and was about to object when an idea suddenly popped into his head. "How about we play who can stay silent the longest," he suggested. "If I win, I get to walk ahead. If you win, you get to walk ahead." 

"But we don't get to walk beside each other either way!" she replied in protest. 

"Exactly my point," he retorted bluntly. "Okay ready? Let's start." 

"But I didn't-"

"Oh, looks like I win," he promptly cut her off, quickening his stride. 

"Hey get back here!!" she yelled, taking after him. "That was so not fair Ryo!!!!" She instantly gasped before instinctively stopping dead in her tracks, her right hand covering her mouth. _'Oh damn, can we say busted?'_ she asked herself, smiling nervously at the boy who had already ended his walk and was now giving her a questioning stare. 

"Did you just…say my name?" he asked. 

"You mean Ryo's actually your name?" she blinked innocently, not wanting to quit the charades. "Wow! I really am good at this guessing thing, huh?" 

Ryo crossed his arms, watching her carefully. '_How did she-'_ he suddenly broke his thoughts, coming into a ghastly realization. _'Oh shit. No. Don't tell me that she's the...No... OH **HELL** NO!!!' _

It finally hit him like a ton of bricks, and very painfully too, if I may add. He couldn't believe his luck. Only Ryo would have the fortune of having a team like his. There was only one thought that provided him with any comfort, and that was that the day couldn't get any worse. Hypothetically at least. 

The three girls lounged around, scattered in the living room, wondering what they should do now. Casey was comfortably situated on a snug chair, while the shadowed redhead had long returned and was now lazily plopped on the couch beside Jade. 

When Alex had arrived earlier, her first task, surprisingly enough, was to smooth things out with their new fearless leader. Everyone was absolutely speechless when Alex had walked through the door and just waltzed up to him and apologized for her behaviour earlier. In addition to apologizing, she also elaborated and explained to Ryo that she only acted so callous because of the whole Richi issue. 

The scariest part of the whole scene was that she actually said to him, "let bygones be bygones". Now that remark turned a few heads. Nobody had ever expected such mature behaviour from Alex. 

In contrast though, the same calming discussion couldn't be said about Casey and Ryo. Now those two's interaction was like the incarnation of friction itself. 

"You could've tried to have been a _little _bit nicer to him Case," sighed Jade, lazing on the couch upside down. "He wouldn't have _'gone for some fresh air' _if you weren't being so mouthy. It's so unlike you too! I mean, even Alex was nicer to him when she got back, and isn't _she _supposed to be the unreasonable one?"

"Hey! I resent that!" protested the returned teen.

The lighter redhead let out an amused, hearty laugh. "Please Alex, you know it's true. One question though, did you happen to slap Richi when you were with him? And don't tell us that you didn't run off to go see him either because you know you can't lie to us." 

The darker-haired girl scoffed, refusing to answer the question, while Jade, soon joined by Casey, continued to poke fun at her.

__

'She so totally slapped him,' declared Jade in her mind. Usually when people refused to answer a question, it was because they had committed the said crime. In Alex's case, it was charge number 5.020: slapping a guy. 

"So what if I did?" she finally spoke up. "It's not like he didn't deserve it. He is a guy, after all."

"Amen to that," added Casey. "Guys are only here on earth for one thing, to help females procreate."

Jade raised an eyebrow, glancing at the girl in pigtails sitting across from her. "Since when did you become such a feminist?"

"Since I met the prick that probably caused the whole feminist movement," she exaggerated. "And don't you dare tell me that I shouldn't have called him a two-bit egotistical prick that couldn't find a dog even if it bit him on the ass because I was merely stating my opinion. Besides, did you hear what he called me? A minx! Do you even know what a minx is?" she asked, flipping her palm upwards. "It's a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men! You really think I'd let him get away with calling me that?" 

Jade attempted to stifle a giggle, but failed to do so. "But it's true!" she smiled, finally deciding to sit upright. "Let me ask you something Case, you refer to him as a _prick_, right?" The light-haired teen nodded. "And you tease him, don't you? As in annoy, provoke, irritate, etc. right?" Casey stared at her friend for a moment before slowly giving a second nod. "Well then, that would make you a prickteaser, right?" Once again, the adolescent gave a time-consuming nod. 

Jade smirked roguishly, switching into her highly intelligent mode. As she folded her arms in a professional manner, she let her crystal blue eyes meet with a pair of lavender one's. "Now you do realize that prickteaser is a synonym for minx, right?" 

The girl's violet orbs soon widened, coming into a quick understanding. "That is-"

"Completely true," Jade finished her sentence, smiling triumphantly. "You proved it yourself! Didn't she Alex?" she turned to the other redhead, receiving a nod in return. 

Casey sighed, shaking her head. "You conniving little-"

"Okay, that's enough," Jet broke in, finally making his presence more known. 

While the girls were in the living room, their supervisor had been sitting in the kitchen the whole time, trying to have a nice, relaxing cup of coffee. Although obviously by now, that ambition was surely shattered. 

"I know that a lot has happened and everyone isn't in the best of moods, but girls, please just try to calm down a bit, okay? It's not gonna help anyone if we're all emotionally high-strung." 

The female members of the team all resignedly agreed, knowing that their manager was right. The day really has been anything _but_ ordinary so far. Everything that they never expected to happen _has_ happened. Little did they know, there were still a few more surprises up ahead. One of those surprises was actually about to arise. Right about…now. 

"Knock! Knock!" came a sprightly voice at the door, a fist thumping against the wood at the same time. "Hey open up! It's beauty and the beast waiting out here!" 

The three teens all shot each other a confused look, while their amused director concealed the smirk playing onto his lips. Jade was the first to actually get up, slowly heading to the door. She was soon followed by her curious teammates, who tagged closely behind her. 

"Hello????" the female voice emerged again along with the knocking. "Come on! Don't leave me out here with the Easter bunny gone vamp!" After that comment was said, a very annoyed scoff was heard and the girls in the room knew right away who that had to be. 

Casey immediately brushed past her two friends and paused in front of the door, crossing her arms "So where have you been Ryo? I never thought you'd be one to bring home a girl." 

"You barely even know me," replied the boy on the other side of the door. "And what I do is my business alone. You respect other people's privacy, don't you Casey?"

She felt like laughing, but held it in. "Of course I do, but remember that respect is a two-way street. I respect those who respect me as well. Isn't that the way you work?"

"To a certain degree," he answered. "Although it also depends on the person. Some people don't deserve respect." 

"Oh I agree completely," smirked Casey, leaning against the door.

"Have you forgotten about the girl he brought home?" the feminine voice suddenly cut in impatiently. "I know that you two wanna have a verbal war, but can't it wait till _after_ you let us in? Besides, who knows what this vamp can do to me!" 

Ryo scoffed a second time, sending the girl in front of him an irritated look. "_Must_ you call me that?" 

The shorter adolescent whirled around to face him with teasing sky eyes. "Of course! It's no fun if I just call you by your normal name. Hm…unless you want me to make up a nickname for you using the letters already in your name…let me see…" she began to contemplate on an alternative nickname for the aggravated teen. "Oh I know! Ryo is like Yoyo! Wanna be called Yoyo instead?" she asked cheerfully. 

At that same moment, the door finally opened, just in time to allow Jade, Casey and Alex to see the revolted expression etched on Ryo's face. His crimson eyes clearly stood out like large orbs of dark fire, while his mouth took on the typical 'o' shape of fear. It was absolutely priceless. 

"Damn, I wish I had a camera," simpered Casey. "I could so blackmail him with a shot of this." 

The tinted redhead laughed just as Ryo quickly stepped out of his trance and cast her friend an evil stare. "Now whatever happened to your sense of decency?" she grinned. 

"Oh it's still there," Casey replied, now meeting Ryo's seething glare. "It's just that I prefer to save it for people who are actually worthy of it. Wouldn't you agree with me Ryo?"

The scowl on his lips soon curved into a wicked smile as he nodded. "Of course Casey. I couldn't agree with you more." 

Although before the minx and prick could get into another all out duel, the orange-hooded girl quickly grabbed Ryo's arm and spun around, dragging both him and herself into the hotel room. Upon entrance, she immediately released her reluctant hostage and causally strolled into the middle of the living room. 

She soon paused, with her back still facing the door, and let out a soft laugh. "You know for two people who seem to understand each other, there's a huge lack of love in the relationship." 

The teen slowly began scanning the room and quickly noticed Jet looking very entertained in the kitchen. She eventually got to look back at the doorway, and immediately spotted three teenage girls standing there. It took all her strength not to laugh, as their stunned expressions were worth at least a dollar of giggles. 

__

'No, it can't be her,' Alex stared in disbelief. 'There's no possible way that she's the same person…'

Casey watched as the familiar-looking girl playfully winked at them before jumping onto the couch, grabbing a pillow to hug. _'No way, this is all just coincidence. That's it. It has to all be coincidence.' _

"Aren't you going to say hi to your old friend?" Jet finally broke the bewildered silence. The three girls remained motionless and mute, while Ryo had somehow made his way into the small hall and was now simply watching the situation unfold. 

The silver-haired man grinned, pushing himself out of his chair and walking over to the maybe-not-so-new girl. "Hey kid, have a good flight?" 

She bobbed her head in reply. "Yep! Oh, and sorry that I took a while. I sort of got mixed up with the directions," she admitted sheepishly. 

A warm smile crossed Jet's face as he shook his head. "Don't worry about it. At least you made it here." He then turned to face the other females in the room and arched a silver eyebrow. "Well? What are you guys standing there for? You know I thought you'd give her a warmer welcome than this." 

Disliking the suspense, a soft voice finally said what all the girls were dying to ask. "R-Riley?" Jade spoke up quietly. 

The girl's light blue eyes immediately lit up as a warm smile quickly appeared. She soon slipped out of her orange hood, revealing long, night-coloured hair tied in a loose ponytail with an orange headband keeping most of the strands in place. "I'm glad somebody still remembers me," she grinned brightly. 

The stunt bomb immediately wore off and the next thing you know, four girls were on the couch squealing and hugging as if there was no tomorrow. It was as if they hadn't seen her for six years! Well, I guess it's because they really haven't seen her for six years.

Jet looked on with much delight. He was really happy to see the girls acting like they usually do, like typical teenagers. All the news he had given them prior wasn't exactly the most pleasant, and he was glad that he could finally tell them something that would cheer them up. 

"What are you doing here?" Jade laughed, hugging her old friend tightly. "Did you move back to Japan or something?" 

Riley ended the close embrace and leaned back, staring at her childhood pals. She still couldn't believe it herself. It had been so long since they were all together like this; it was almost like a dream. She never thought in a million years that she'd ever get the chance to see them again after she moved to the States.

"To answer your first question," the black-haired girl began, glancing at Jet, "I'm here because I got a call from a certain manager a few weeks ago about how his Beyblade team needed a fifth member. He also mentioned something about wanting to make up for replacing a particular team captain that has an affair with chicken. Um…Richi still likes chicken, right?" 

The three girls burst into a fit of giggles in response to her question. "I'll take that as a yes then," smiled Riley. "And to answer your second question, I'm only here in Japan to join up with you guys. Jet told me that I wouldn't be staying here long because we're supposed to go somewhere soon."

The uninformed trio promptly desisted their laughter and gave their friend a strange look. Subsequently, their gazes drifted over to Jet, who was once again seated in the kitchen. What else did their manager have in store for them? Before any of them could ask a single question though, someone else beat them to it. 

"What is she talking about?" the team captain articulated in a solid tone. 

All eyes were on Jet now and yet, he didn't feel the slight bit nervous. It's true that he didn't exactly handle things too well when the whole soap opera stuff began, but since both Ryo _and _Riley were here now, he had a feeling that things just might work out even better than he expected. 

Keep in mind that just like his uncle, Jet knows a lot more than he lets on. After all, there's always a reason behind an action. It's not like he picked Riley just because she coincidentally happens to be an old friend of theirs _and _a talented blader as well. And out of all the bladers in the world, Mr. Dickenson didn't pick Ryo out of a hat either. No. There's more to it. Much more. 

"Hey Jet, planning to keep us in the dark all day?" Alex probed forward. 

The metallic-haired gentleman shook his head, folding his arms at the same time. Gradually, he allowed his dark eyes to flow across the room, glancing at each of his team's members for a brief second. The ball was finally beginning to roll, and their first stop was going to be…

"Iceland."

The five teenagers instantaneously bestowed him with a pentagon of confused stares. Did he just say what they think he said? 

"W-what?" stuttered Casey. 

Jet smirked. "You guys better start packing because tonight, we're on the next flight over to Iceland." 

__

Whoa! Talk about dropping a bomb! First their fifth member is a childhood bud, and now they're going to Iceland! And what about the Bladebreakers? Do they have the same arctic fate? Tune in next time for the next chapter of Star Horizons!


End file.
